AI Foundations Workshop

Most people use AI the same way they used Google in 1999 — type something in, hope for something useful. This workshop teaches you how to actually use it.

AI Foundations Workshop is a 2-hour hands-on session built around the Core 4 Framework: the four variables that determine how much you get out of any AI tool — Model, Context, Prompt, and Tools. Master these, and AI stops being a coin flip and starts being a system.

What You'll Cover

Part 1: Foundations (60 min)

• The Core 4 Framework — the mental model that organizes everything
• What is AI Engineering? — the discipline, the role, and the skills that matter now
• The AI Tools Landscape — how to choose between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Codex without getting lost in benchmarks
• How LLMs Actually Work — tokens, context windows, and why the AI "forgets" mid-conversation so you can stop fighting it

Part 2: Practical Skills (45 min)

• Prompt Engineering Mastery — four techniques that solve 90% of prompting problems: specificity, context, examples, and chain-of-thought
• Agent Memory & Context — how to write a configuration file that eliminates the "re-explain your project every session" tax
• Workflow Integration — where AI delivers real ROI (code review, docs, automation) and where it quietly wastes your time

You'll Leave With

• The Core 4 mental model applied to your actual work
• Your first agent memory file (CLAUDE.md / GEMINI.md) — ready to use that day
• At least one reusable prompt or skill built during the session
• A practical next-steps plan — not a reading list
• A clear picture of which AI tools fit your workflow and which don't

Who This Is For

Professionals who are already using ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI tool — but aren't getting consistent results. You've seen the demos. You've tried the tools. Now you want a system.

You don't need to be a developer. The Core 4 framework applies to writers, managers, consultants, and analysts — anyone who uses AI in their work.

Some familiarity with AI tools is helpful. This is the natural next step after AI Basics — for those ready to work systematically, not experimentally.

Why This Session Is Different

No vendor pitches. No hype. No "AI will replace your job" fear-mongering.

This is practitioner knowledge from A.D. Slaton — architect behind high-traffic platforms at CNN, March Madness (10M+ concurrent users), and Warner Bros. Discovery. Now applying those same systems-thinking skills to help professionals build real AI workflows.

This is a hands-on session. Bring something you're actually working on.

Seats are limited to 20 — register early.