Google expands AI training with app-building course

Google has introduced a short course designed to teach people how to build functional applications with artificial intelligence, lowering the technical barrier for workers who want to create software without conventional programming skills.

The “AI for App Building” course is built around the emerging practice of “vibe coding”, in which users describe what they want an application to do in everyday language and an AI system generates the underlying code. Google says no previous coding or AI experience is required, making the programme accessible to learners across professional backgrounds.

The course contains three modules and is designed to take roughly two hours to complete through Google’s Grow with Google learning programme, although the corresponding Coursera listing currently gives a shorter estimated completion time. It forms part of the broader Google AI Professional Certificate and provides practical experience with Gemini and Google AI Studio.

Learners begin by studying the principles of vibe coding and agentic AI before moving into hands-on exercises. The second module asks participants to create three applications using natural-language instructions, while the third focuses on identifying a workplace problem and building a personalised application to address it.

The exercises include creating a decision-making tie-breaker tool, a brand-building application capable of visualising products and an interactive dashboard for analysing data. Participants are then encouraged to develop their own application based on repetitive or time-consuming work they encounter in their jobs.

Google AI Studio plays a central role in the training. The browser-based development environment allows users to describe an application through prompts, generate working code, preview the result and make changes through further conversational instructions. Users can therefore modify design, functionality and behaviour without manually rewriting each section of code.

The approach reflects a wider shift in software development towards natural-language interfaces. Instead of starting with programming syntax, aspiring developers can begin with an objective such as creating a dashboard or workflow tool. The AI generates the initial user interface and software logic, after which the user can test the application and request changes.

Google has been expanding AI Studio beyond its earlier role as an environment for experimenting with Gemini models and prompts. Its app-building capabilities now allow prototypes to be produced from descriptions, tested interactively and prepared for deployment. Applications created through the platform can also be moved towards production environments using Google Cloud infrastructure.

The training programme places particular emphasis on workplace applications rather than programming theory. Participants are asked to examine their daily routines, identify tasks involving repetitive manual work and determine whether a small custom application could reduce the workload.

Google also teaches learners to diagnose problems generated by AI-written code. The course covers common pitfalls associated with vibe coding and encourages users to evaluate generated applications rather than assume AI-produced software will function correctly or safely.

That element has become increasingly important as generative AI systems enter software development. AI coding assistants can produce working programmes quickly, but generated code can still contain bugs, security weaknesses or incorrect assumptions. Effective use therefore requires testing, clear instructions and human oversight, particularly when applications handle sensitive business information.

The programme is aimed not only at developers but also at people working in operations, marketing, project management, analytics and customer-facing positions. The premise is that employees who understand their own workflows may be able to design specialised tools even if they lack a traditional software engineering background.

Completion of the course provides a Google course badge that can be shared with employers and professional networks. It is part of a seven-course Google AI Professional Certificate covering AI fundamentals, brainstorming and planning, research, writing, content creation, data analysis and application development.

Access conditions require some distinction from descriptions circulating online that characterise the entire programme as free. Google AI Studio itself can be used for experimentation without a conventional development setup, and Coursera offers trial and enrolment options, but the complete Google AI Professional Certificate is a paid programme. Google lists the certificate subscription at $49 a month in the United States and Canada, with pricing varying by market and learning platform.