Welcome to the World of AI!

This guide is designed to get you up and running with the basics, jargon-free. We’ll cover what AI is, the top tools you need to know, and how to get started. This section provides the foundational knowledge you need to begin your journey with confidence.

What is AI?

In simple terms, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a computer program that can think, learn, and make decisions on its own. For our purposes, we're focusing on Generative AI, which creates new content, like text, images, or code, based on your instructions. Think of it as a super-smart assistant that can help you with anything you can imagine.

The Big 3 AI Tools

These are the three most popular and powerful AI tools you can start using for free today. They are all text-based chatbots that use large language models (LLMs) to understand and generate text.

ChatGPT

A versatile and powerful all-around tool. Excellent for brainstorming, writing, coding, and general knowledge questions.

How to get a free account:

Go to `chat.openai.com`.
Click "Sign up."
Use email or a social account.
Verify email and phone number.

Gemini

A fast, responsive tool with strong reasoning skills. Good at summarizing, analyzing data, and connecting to Google apps.

How to get a free account:

Go to `gemini.google.com`.
Click "Sign in."
Use your existing Google account.
Agree to the terms of service.

Claude

Designed to be safe and helpful. Excels at complex reasoning, creative writing, and handling very long documents.

How to get a free account:

Go to `claude.ai`.
Click "Sign in."
Use a Google or Apple account.
Verify phone number to start.

The AI Prompt Playbook

The key to getting great results is writing great prompts. This playbook contains ready-to-use prompts you can copy and paste. Use the filters below to find prompts for specific tasks and click the copy button to use them instantly in your favorite AI tool.

✨ Prompt Generator

Describe the task you need help with, select a tone, and let the AI generate a custom prompt for you!

Tone:

AI Cheat Sheets

This section contains quick, one-page references to level up your AI skills. Keep these handy to write better prompts, learn useful shortcuts, and understand the difference between effective and ineffective instructions.

The Ultimate Prompting Structure: The R.G.C.C.O. Method

Role: Tell the AI who to act as.
Example: "Act as a professional copywriter..."

Goal: Clearly state the task you want to achieve.
Example: "...and write a social media post."

Context: Provide all necessary background information.
Example: "The product is a new coffee subscription service..."

Constraints: Define any rules, formats, or limits.
Example: "The post must be under 200 characters..."

Output: Specify the desired format.
Example: "Provide the output as a draft..."

AI Power User Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl/Cmd + C: Copy
Ctrl/Cmd + V: Paste
Ctrl/Cmd + A: Select all
Ctrl/Cmd + Z: Undo

Helpful Extensions

WebPilot: Allows AI to read web pages.
AIPRM for ChatGPT: Library of pre-made prompts.
Glass: Transcribes YouTube videos.

Good vs. Bad Prompts

Good Prompts	Bad Prompts
`Act as an expert marketer. Write five marketing headlines for a new AI education service for beginners. The headlines should be simple, benefit-driven, and end with a question.`	`Write some headlines for my AI class.`
`Summarize the following document into a one-page report, focusing on the key findings related to economic trends. The final output should be a professional business document.`	`What did this doc say?`
`I need a list of 10 ideas for blog posts about productivity, written for small business owners who use AI. The tone should be conversational and helpful.`	`Give me some blog ideas.`