About this course
Follow IBM demonstrations of building LLM applications with local models, retrieval and agent frameworks. This free video course covers several development approaches rather than one continuous project. Use it to compare implementation patterns, then choose a small example that matches your programming background and available hardware.
What you can learn
- Local LLM inference
- RAG application patterns
- AI tool calling
- Text-to-SQL agents
- Python and JavaScript AI apps
- Multi-agent implementation
Course at a glance
| Provider | IBM |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · IBM Technology |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Intermediate — WikiFree audience assessment |
| Language | English |
| Selected lessons | 36 |
| Video duration | 8h 7m · allow extra time for reflection and practice |
| Details checked | 9 October 2026 |
Inside the course
Start with local inference using vLLM and Ollama, then compare model and context choices. Explore document and video extraction, MCP servers, chat applications, function calling, LangChain, LangGraph and multi-agent examples.
Try this learning exercise
Plan a read-only assistant for a small set of public documents. Define the input, retrieval step, answer format and evaluation questions. If you implement it, begin with one local example and record its model, dependencies and hardware requirements.
How to follow the course
Choose a lesson from the list or search for a specific topic. Use Previous and Next to continue, and mark lessons complete as you go. Progress is saved in this browser without a WikiFree account.
Each course retains its relevant lessons, including videos also used in another course. Numbered series follow their original lesson or part order. Only reviewed advertisements, unrelated items and identical repeated playlist entries are excluded. Source recordings may have been made at different times.
Unavailable recordings are listed in Course content. Known lesson titles are retained; when the source hides a title or position, this is stated explicitly. Unavailable videos are not included in the video duration.
Free access, requirements and certificates
The selected public YouTube videos are free to watch. No paid subscription, payment card or examination is required for this video learning path. WikiFree independently organizes IBM Technology explainers and tutorials for self-paced study. This listing is not an official IBM qualification and does not include an IBM certificate, graded assignment or instructor feedback.
Programming experience in Python or JavaScript is recommended. Recordings use different tool versions. Optional reproduction may need substantial local hardware, model downloads, accounts or paid API/cloud services; these are not required to watch the free lessons.
Official IBM Technology playlist source ↗
Use this course in a learning path
Related courses for your next step
- Compare another approachFree Generative AI with JavaScript Course: LLMs and RAG
Focus: Understand LLMs and prompt design · Use retrieval to improve answer relevance
Intermediate - Compare another approachFree RAG Course: Retrieval, Vector Search and AI Agents
Focus: Retrieval-augmented generation · Sparse and dense retrieval
Intermediate - Compare another approachFree AI Agents Course: Memory and Multi-Agent Systems
Focus: Agent architecture · Agent memory
Intermediate
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free AI App Development Course: Local LLMs and RAG | Intermediate | Local LLM inference · RAG application patterns · AI tool calling | 8h 7m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free Generative AI with JavaScript Course: LLMs and RAG | Intermediate | Understand LLMs and prompt design · Use retrieval to improve answer relevance · Explore LangChain.js and local model workflows | 1h 43m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free RAG Course: Retrieval, Vector Search and AI Agents | Intermediate | Retrieval-augmented generation · Sparse and dense retrieval · Hybrid search | 3h 22m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free AI Agents Course: Memory and Multi-Agent Systems | Intermediate | Agent architecture · Agent memory · Multi-agent systems | 11h 16m of video; practice time is additional |
Provider: IBM. Videos play from the IBM Technology channel on YouTube.
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