What You Need to Know if You’re an AI Newbie

Curious about AI but overwhelmed by all the jargon and hype? Let’s cut through the noise together. You don’t need a degree or a tech background—just a bit of curiosity. Imagine learning how to use AI like a helpful sidekick, not a science project. Whether you picture AI as a wise-cracking assistant or a super-smart tool, this guide will help you make sense of it all—without the confusing tech talk.

If any of this sounds like you, then welcome! My name is Caleb and here at the Ay-I Guy we help regular folks learn about how to use AI to make their lives better. I’m not a computer programmer, I didn’t go to Stanford, and I drive a beat-up Honda van most of the time. But I do love AI, and I’m constantly learning new ways it can help us day to day—and I’m excited to share that with you.

In this article, we’re going to lay a foundation for using AI by giving you some basic information that everyone should know before jumping in with tools like ChatGPT or Claude. Think of it like you’re about to start an adventure, and I’m your wise (and maybe a little goofy) mentor giving you the tips you need. I’ll share the six key things to know before starting your AI journey—let’s dive in!

1. AI Isn’t All-Knowing. Many people think of AI as being like the robots or super-smart assistants in movies, like Data from Star Trek, TARS from Interstellar, or Samantha from Her. But real-life AI in 2024 isn’t like that—at least, not yet. A better way to think of AI is as a tool that helps you think better and faster. It enhances what we do, but it still needs us to guide it.

   For example, tools like ChatGPT and Claude are trained on lots of information, but they don’t know everything. The current version of ChatGPT, for instance, only knows things up to October 2023. So if you ask it about recent events, it might not have the answer. AI is incredibly helpful, but it has limits, and knowing those limits will save you a lot of frustration.

2. AI Sometimes Makes Mistakes. AI can be super confident even when it’s wrong. It might tell you something that sounds true but isn’t. This doesn’t mean AI is useless—it just means you have to fact-check what it tells you, especially if the information’s important. Think of AI like that really smart friend who sometimes gets a bit carried away. They’re helpful, but you wouldn’t believe everything they say without checking first, right?

3. You’re Responsible for What You Do With AI. AI is amazing and can save you a lot of time, but you’re still the one in charge. If you use AI to help with work, school, or anything else important, you need to double-check its output. It’s easy to want to take shortcuts, but remember: you’re the one responsible for making sure the final product is accurate and fits your needs.

4. Be Careful With Personal Information. Always be cautious about sharing personal information with AI. Anything you type into an AI tool could end up being used by the company that owns it. So, if you wouldn’t want something shared with the world, it’s best to keep it out of the AI chatbox.

5. AI Can Be an AWESOME Sidekick. Now that we’ve covered the warnings, let’s talk about the good stuff. AI can be an amazing sidekick—like R2-D2 from Star Wars, always ready to help. It can brainstorm ideas, write emails, help with homework, or even tell you a joke when you need a laugh. It’s like having a super-smart assistant who’s always awake and ready to lend a hand. One of my goals with Ay-I Guy is to show you all the ways AI can improve your life, from managing your budget to planning meals.

6. AI is a Broad Term. Lastly, keep in mind that “AI” can mean a lot of different things. What we’re talking about here are tools like ChatGPT that use large language models to understand and generate text. There’s a lot of complex technology behind it, but you don’t need to know all the details to start using it. My aim is to make AI simple and useful for regular folks—no PhD required.

Thanks for being here! I hope this information helps you get started on your AI journey. If you’re curious about what else we’re up to at Ay-I Guy, check out some of my other articles, and don’t forget to drop a comment or share this with someone who might be interested.