You have now seen what AI is and where it appears in everyday life. The next step is to try an AI assistant yourself.

You do not need to know any technical terms. Start with a question you would ask another person, read the response and then ask a follow-up question. That small conversation will teach you more than trying to write a perfect prompt.

Open an AI assistant

Visit chatgpt.com on your phone or computer. Depending on how you access it, you may be able to try it straight away or be asked to sign in.

You will see a space where you can type a message. The message you give an AI assistant is often called a prompt. A prompt can be a question, an instruction or a description of the help you need.

For this first exercise, use a general question. There is no need to enter any private information.

Ask your first question

Type:

Explain artificial intelligence in simple terms.

Read the response. If a word is unfamiliar, ask what it means. If the explanation is too long, type:

Can you explain that in three sentences?

You can guide the conversation as you go. Your first prompt does not have to contain every detail.

Ask for an example

Now type:

Give me an everyday example I might recognise.

The assistant can use the earlier conversation to understand what you mean. You do not usually need to repeat your original question in every message.

Think about whether the example helps you understand the idea. If it does not, ask for a different one. You are allowed to tell the tool when an answer has missed the point.

Give it a practical task

Next, choose a small task that would be useful to you. For example:

Draft a friendly email thanking a neighbour for helping me.

Or:

Suggest three simple evening meals using rice, eggs and vegetables.

Treat the response as a draft or a set of suggestions. Change anything that does not sound like you, suit your circumstances or make sense.

Make your request more specific

Try the email prompt again, this time adding detail:

Draft a short, friendly email thanking my neighbour for collecting a parcel. Keep it under 80 words and avoid sounding too formal.

Compare the two answers. The second prompt gives the assistant a clearer task, audience and tone. This is the basic idea behind prompting: describe what you need well enough for the tool to help.

You can also improve a response after it appears. Try saying, “Make it warmer,” “Shorten it,” or “Use simpler language.”

Check one answer

Finally, ask the assistant a factual question about a subject you know something about. Read its answer and consider:

• Does it answer the question I asked?
• Is there anything I would want to check?
• Does it sound certain about something that may change over time?

For an important or current fact, check a reliable source before using the answer. If you use an assistant’s web search feature, open the sources it provides rather than relying on the summary alone.

Try another assistant if you wish

ChatGPT is one option. You may also encounter assistants such as Gemini, Copilot or Claude. They can respond differently to the same request.

You do not need several accounts to complete this lesson. The useful skill is learning to ask, refine and check, whichever assistant you use.

Key takeaway

You have taken the first step by giving an AI assistant a task and responding to its answer. You can ask for changes, add context and decide whether the result is useful.

Keep practising with small, everyday tasks. Avoid entering information you would not want to share, and check important facts. Those habits will help you use AI with confidence as its tools continue to change.