AI Basics
A beginner-friendly guide to artificial intelligence, AI agents, and using AI wisely.
Ready-to-use prompts
Copy any of these prompts and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to get useful results for your audience.
What is AI?
FamiliesExplain to my 10-year-old what artificial intelligence is, using one everyday example from Haiti. Keep it under 120 words and answer in Haitian Creole.
Spotting AI text
TeachersCreate a 30-minute lesson plan for middle school students about how to spot AI-generated text. Include one group activity, a take-home checklist, and write it in Haitian Creole.
Research help
StudentsHelp me write a short essay outline about the history of Haitian Creole. Include three sources I can verify and suggest a clear thesis statement.
Small shop post
EntrepreneursWrite a friendly Facebook post in Haitian Creole announcing a weekend discount at my small shop. Keep it under 80 words and add one clear call to action.
Generate a tutorial
Enter a topic or paste one of the prompts above, and we will draft a structured tutorial you can copy or download.
What you'll learn
Six essential ideas that help anyone understand and use AI responsibly.
What is AI?
Artificial intelligence is software that learns patterns from data to make predictions, generate text, or recognize images — without being explicitly programmed for every situation.
What is an AI agent?
An AI agent is a system that takes actions to reach a goal, such as answering questions, booking appointments, or running multi-step research tasks.
What AI agents share
Most agents rely on training data, pattern matching, and probability. They can all hallucinate, reflect bias, and have knowledge cutoffs.
Real-world use cases
Students, teachers, professionals, and entrepreneurs can all use AI for drafting, research, brainstorming, and communication — with human oversight.
How to talk to AI
Clear prompts with context, level, exact topic, and a specific request produce better, safer answers.
Quick checklist
Before using AI, ask: Is my question clear? Can I verify the answer? Is this the right tool? Am I using it ethically? Will I take responsibility?
The NI + AI™ Framework
Natural Intelligence first. Artificial Intelligence second. Wisdom always. Your brain is the boss.
- ✓Human thinking and judgment come first.
- ✓AI is a helper, not a replacement.
- ✓Verify facts before acting on AI output.
- ✓Take responsibility for what you create.
Choose your tool
Different AI tools have different strengths. Pick the one that fits your task.
ChatGPT
Conversational and great at drafting clear explanations.
Best for: brainstorming, rewriting, and step-by-step explanations.
Claude
Careful, nuanced, and strong at ethical reasoning.
Best for: detailed analysis, long documents, and sensitive topics.
Perplexity
Searches the web and cites sources while it answers.
Best for: research, fact-checking, and current events.
Getting started
You now know the basics. Here's how to turn what you learned into your own tutorial.
- 1
Open the Prompt Engineering Tutorial and study the CLEAR method.
- 2
Pick a real question or task from your home, school, or work.
- 3
Use the CLEAR prompt method to ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity to create a short tutorial just for you.
Export this tutorial
Take the AI Basics content with you as a PDF or plain text file.