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Grokking the Generative AI System Design

Explore the design of scalable generative AI systems guided by a structured framework and real-world systems in text, image, audio, and video generation.

4.6
30 Lessons
4 Mock Interviews
4h
Updated 2 weeks ago
Join 2.9 million developers at
Join 2.9 million developers at
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  • Apply the SCALED framework — a 6-step methodology for designing large-scale Generative AI systems
  • Design real-world GenAI systems across four modalities: text-to-text (ChatGPT), text-to-image (DALL·E), text-to-speech (ElevenLabs), and text-to-video (SORA)
  • Estimate computational resources for training and deploying LLMs and other generative models at scale
  • Evaluate GenAI model performance using targeted metrics and optimization techniques
  • Apply foundational concepts: neural networks, transformers, tokenization, embeddings, RAG, and fine-tuning
  • Practice with 4 mock interviews covering end-to-end GenAI System Design problems
Why choose this course?

The Next Frontier of System Design

Generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude have redefined software architecture. Learn how these intelligent, multimodal systems are designed, scaled, and optimized for real-world performance and trust.

Think Like an Architect

Move beyond fine-tuning and prompting. Understand the design principles behind text, image, speech, and video generation, covering pipelines, orchestration, and latency-aware architecture decisions.

SCALED: Your Playbook for GenAI System Design

Master a scalable process for designing complex GenAI architectures. Using the SCALED framework, learn to scope, connect, align, and evaluate design choices across diverse AI modalities.

Learn Through Real-World Case Studies

Dissect the systems behind ChatGPT, Gemini, and DALL·E. Learn how retrieval, memory, vector search, and multimodal fusion work together to power intelligent, context-aware generative experiences at scale.

Test Your Knowledge with AI Mock Interviews

Take on real GenAI design challenges and benchmark your skills with mock interviews that mirror the expectations of esign interviews at the top AI companies.

Learning Roadmap

30 Lessons16 Quizzes

2.

Fundamental Concepts in GenAI

Fundamental Concepts in GenAI

Master foundational concepts, evaluation metrics, and optimization techniques for Generative AI systems.

3.

Back-of-the-envelope Calculations

Back-of-the-envelope Calculations

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Understand back-of-the-envelope calculations for efficiently planning LLM training and deployment.

4.

Systematic Framework for Designing GenAI Systems

Systematic Framework for Designing GenAI Systems

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore how to prepare for a GenAI System Design interview and learn a systematic 6-step framework for designing impactful GenAI systems.

5.

System Design of a Text-to-Text Generation System

System Design of a Text-to-Text Generation System

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore the training and deployment System Design of an efficient conversational AI system.

6.

System Design of a Text-to-Image Generation System

System Design of a Text-to-Image Generation System

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore the training and deployment System Design of a robust image generation system.

7.

System Design of a Text-to-Speech Generation System

System Design of a Text-to-Speech Generation System

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore the training and deployment System Design of a realistic speech generation system.

8.

System Design of a Text-to-Video Generation System

System Design of a Text-to-Video Generation System

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore the training and deployment System Design of a text-to-video generation system.

9.

System Design of an Image Captioning System

System Design of an Image Captioning System

2 Lessons

2 Lessons

Explore the training and deployment System Design of an image captioning system.

11.

Free GenAI System Design Lessons

Free GenAI System Design Lessons

9 Lessons

9 Lessons

Learn core GenAI system design concepts, from model training and sampling to multimodal, diffusion, audio, and hardware choices in real-world AI systems.
Certificate of Completion
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Author NameGrokking the Generative AISystem Design
Developed by MAANG Engineers
ABOUT THIS COURSE
GenAI System Design is emerging as its own interview category at top tech companies, distinct from traditional ML System Design. The questions are different, the architectures are different, and the scale considerations (GPU compute, parallelism, inference optimization) require their own mental models. Having spent years researching adaptive AI systems and neural networks – and now leading the creation of learning content at Educative – I designed this course to bridge that gap between understanding generative AI conceptually and being able to architect these systems end-to-end. You'll learn the SCALED framework, which is a 6-step methodology for breaking down any GenAI System Design problem – then apply it across five real-world systems spanning text, image, speech, and video generation. Each case study walks through training architecture, deployment design, and the specific tradeoffs involved in that modality. Before diving into the case studies, the course covers the foundational concepts you'll need: neural networks, transformers, tokenization, embeddings, parallelism strategies, inference optimization, RAG, and fine-tuning. You'll also learn how to do back-of-the-envelope calculations for LLM training and deployment. A bonus: if you have a GenAI or ML System Design interview coming up, this will give you both the framework and the depth to handle whatever systems are asked to design.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Khayyam Hashmi

Computer scientist and Generative AI and Machine Learning specialist. VP of Technical Content @ educative.io.

Learn more about Khayyam

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of a generative AI system?

Key features of generative AI systems include the ability to generate new content, learn patterns in data, and adapt to new information. They can create text, images, music, and even code. Another key feature is their ability to provide real-time responses, which is crucial for interactive applications. This real-time capability is essential for applications like chatbots and live content generation.

What are the common models in generative AI?

Common models include variational autoencoders (VAEs), generative adversarial networks (GANs), large language models like GPT, and diffusion models like Stable Diffusion and SORA. These models use different techniques to generate data. We choose a model based on the use case; for example, GANs are typically used to generate images.

What are examples of generative AI systems?

Examples include text-to-text generation systems like ChatGPT and Gemini, text-to-image generation tools like DALL•E and Midjourney, text-to-speech systems like ElevenLabs, and text-to-video generation systems like Mochi 1 and SORA. These systems showcase the diverse applications of generative AI.

How do I prepare for a generative AI System Design interview?

You can prepare for a GenAI System Design interview by studying the core AI and ML concepts, practicing System Design problems, reviewing common interview questions, and building a strong portfolio of projects. Mock interviews can also be beneficial. You should also learn design frameworks like the SCALED approach to solve unseen problems during the interview.

How do you evaluate the performance of a generative AI system?

We use evaluation metrics (automated and human) to test the performance of GenAI systems. They vary depending on the application. Common methods include measuring accuracy, diversity, fluency, and coherence. Common metrics include BLEU score, CLIP score, ROGUE score, Fréchet inception distance (FID), and mean opinion score (MOS).

What is the difference between generative AI and machine learning?

Generative AI and machine learning are predictive methods but focus on different things. Machine learning makes discriminative predictions, like classifying data, while generative AI makes generative predictions, creating new content. Both learn from data and improve over time, but machine learning focuses on recognizing patterns, while generative AI uses those patterns to generate new data. They represent two powerful branches of AI, each with unique applications and capabilities.

In an interview, how can I demonstrate my understanding of generative AI System Design concepts?

To excel in a generative AI interview, clearly explain your reasoning using examples of case studies. Choose appropriate data and models, like GPT for text, and detail the training process, including techniques like fine-tuning. Finally, outline a robust deployment System Design, showcasing how the model integrates into a real-world system, like a conversational chatbot AI.

What are the best resources for learning about generative AI System Design?

Online courses like “Grokking the Generative AI System Design” provide a solid foundation in the core concepts. Supplement this with research papers and blogs to stay updated on the latest advancements. Then, you should analyze real-world systems like ChatGPT or DALL•E to understand their design choices. Finally, practice designing systems for common generative AI tasks (text-to-text, text-to-image, etc.), exploring different solutions and their tradeoffs to deepen your understanding.