Your First Week With AI

Paste the email (remove names and account numbers first), then ask:

Here's an email I need to answer. Write a short, friendly reply that says yes to the meeting but asks to move it to Thursday afternoon. Keep it under 80 words.

[paste the email here]

Change the details to fit. If the tone is off, say "make it warmer" or "make it more formal".

List what you have and any limits:

I have chicken thighs, rice, a bag of spinach, onions, garlic and half a jar of salsa. Suggest 3 dinners I can make in 30 minutes with only these plus basic pantry items. Give a short shopping list if one needs something extra.

Add "kid-friendly", "no dairy" or "one pan only" and see how it changes.

Black out account numbers and your address, then paste the text:

Explain this letter in plain English. What is it asking me to do, by when, and what happens if I ignore it? List anything I should double-check with the sender.

[paste the text here]

For anything about money, health or the law, call the sender or a professional before acting. AI can misread fine print.

Give it the who, when and budget:

Plan a relaxed Saturday for two adults and a 7-year-old near Austin, Texas, with a budget of about $100. Include one outdoor thing, one indoor backup if it rains, and lunch ideas. Put it in a simple timeline.

Ask "what could go wrong with this plan?" for a quick reality check. Check opening hours and prices yourself; they change.

Pick a topic you've always wondered about:

Teach me how credit scores work like I'm a smart beginner. Use one everyday example. Then ask me 3 quick questions to check I understood, one at a time, and wait for my answer each time.

The "ask me questions" part is the trick: it turns a lecture into a lesson.

After any answer that matters, follow up with:

What are you least sure about in your last answer? What would a careful expert disagree with? Give me 2 ways to check this myself, such as official websites to look at.

Chatbots can sound certain and still be wrong. This habit catches most mistakes.

Start a chat by telling it about you and what you want:

For this chat: I'm a busy parent who isn't technical. Keep answers short, use plain words, use bullet points, and ask me a question if my request is unclear instead of guessing.

Many apps let you save preferences like this so you don't repeat them. Look for "custom instructions" or "personalization" in settings.

1. Keep private things private. No passwords, account numbers or ID numbers, ever. The AI Privacy Checkup shows how to stop your chats being used for training.
2. Treat answers as a first draft. Check facts, numbers, dates and anything about money, health or the law before acting on them.
3. You're in charge. If an answer isn't useful, say what's wrong ("shorter", "simpler", "that's not what I meant") and ask again.