Building AI today is about more than just a clever prompt. If you really want to move from playing with standalone tools to creating integrated systems that actually work with your data, our new crash course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel is exactly where you need to start.
Mastering RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation)
Everyone is talking about RAG, but many people struggle to understand how it works under the hood. This course starts by breaking down how to connect a model to your own private information. You will learn how to turn documents into embeddings (mathematical representations of meaning) and store them in vector databases like Chroma.
The course also covers the "precision problem." You will learn why just uploading a massive PDF doesn't work and how to use chunking strategies to ensure the AI finds exactly the right paragraph to answer a user's question.
Coordination with MCP
While RAG gives an AI knowledge, the Model Context Protocol (MCP) gives it the ability to coordinate actions. MCP allows AI agents to interact with third-party software, databases, and local files. Instead of writing custom code for every single API, MCP provides a standardized way for agents to discover what a server can do and then execute tasks.
You will learn how to build your own MCP server and client using the Python SDK, giving your AI the "hands" it needs to perform real-world tasks.
Watch the full course on the freeCodeCamp.org YouTube channel (2-hour watch).