The words “artificial intelligence (AI)” are everywhere these days. AI is advertised in commercials, discussed on the news and mentioned in casual conversations among friends and family. There’s endless excitement surrounding AI, and while some of it may be hype, there’s a lot of value in learning how to use it.
If you’re new to the world of AI, it can be daunting getting started. “But if you can use Google, you can use AI,” says Conor McCarthy, founder of Threshold Partners, a Dublin-based AI advisory firm. We spoke with McCarthy to understand why it’s so important for people to start using AI safely and the best practices for harnessing this powerful technology.
What Is Artificial Intelligence?
AI is a computer’s ability to perform tasks that normally would require human-level intelligence. These tasks may include learning, reasoning, communication and problem-solving.
Most people think of AI as being a singular type of technology, but this is a misconception. Instead, think of it as being like the term “transportation,” an umbrella term that includes cars, trains, planes and boats. AI is an umbrella term, and it has a variety of subtypes, each with a different function.
The subtype that most people are familiar with is called “generative AI.” This form of AI creates original outputs based on patterns it has learned from datasets, which are structured or unstructured collections of related information stored together as a single unit. For consumer use, the dataset that the AI is trained on is essentially all the public information available on the Internet. The AI is packaged into a chatbot, which can receive instructions or take questions. The program’s response will depend on the question asked or the “prompt” a user creates to accomplish a task.
Example: You could ask the AI to put together a vacation itinerary for your family. It will respond with questions like, “Where do you want to go? When do you want to go? What’s your budget? How many nights?” Once you give the AI that information and answer any follow-up questions, it will scour all the available data from the Internet and put together a personalized plan. Depending on how much detail you provide and what you ask it to do, the AI can help you find everything from day-to-day activities to hotel accommodations. It won’t do the actual booking for you, but it will offer a step-by-step to make vacation planning easy.
Why Learn to Use AI Now?
While curious about how to get started with AI, many people are hesitant because they assume it’s only for tech-savvy people. But McCarthy says that it’s actually quite the opposite. “One of the big things we find is that the barrier to entry is so low. There’s no software to learn. There’s no coding language. English is the coding language.”
There’s no better time to start using AI, says McCarthy. One of the most appealing aspects of AI is its immediate payoff. Once you start using it, you’ll be able to complete daily cognitive tasks faster and easier. The more time you spend with the technology, the more comfortable you will get with it…and the more you can do.
Getting Started: AI Tools for Beginners
McCarthy recommends four different AI platforms to people just getting acquainted with the technology. Each has its own personality and best-use cases. To demonstrate the styles of each AI, we asked each tool listed below the following basic question…
“What’s the secret to cooking a good burger?”
ChatGPT
ChatGPT was one of the first widely available AI platforms for consumers, and it is still the most popular today. McCarthy says, “I always say that ChatGPT is like your chatty friend. Its personality is to keep giving you more information, which is fine.” But while more information usually is beneficial, sometimes its responses are a little too long-winded. ChatGPT is an all-purpose AI. It’s a good option for beginners who don’t need their AI to specialize in something. It can perform research, write letters and generate images well enough, but it will never be better at tasks that other AIs specialize in.
How ChatGPT responded to our prompt: ChatGPT gave a long response—nine different tips for how to cook a good burger to be exact. Some of those tips were to use the right beef, use simple seasonings, use high heat and not to flip too much. Each tip had an additional two to three bullet points with more information. At the end, ChatGPT also provided a condensed summary that it called a “restaurant-style formula.”
Claude
Claude is the runner-up to ChatGPT in terms of popularity. Compared with ChatGPT, McCarthy says, “Claude is a bit more discerning. I sometimes think it’s like an emotional chat interface. I feel like it thinks more deeply before responding. It’s a bit more careful.”
Claude is best for people who want to use AI for creative pursuits, personal advice and more complicated tasks. Many people find that out of all AI tools, Claude writes the most human-sounding responses. It is thoughtful, responds well to feedback and feels more like you’re talking to a friend than a machine. This thoughtfulness means that it does well with complex tasks, such as computer coding. It prefers to take longer to accomplish a task if that means it will have fewer errors.
How Claude responded to our prompt: Claude gave similar tips to ChatGPT, but it condensed its answer down to five tips. The responses were shorter and yet seemed to say more. Claude used much more descriptive language like, “A brioche or potato bun hits the sweet spot of sturdy but soft.” It also had a way of responding as if it were speaking directly to you: “Don’t press it down with a spatula—you’re just squeezing out the juices.” It also went a little deeper with its response, referencing the Maillard Reaction (the chemical process that causes steak or a burger to sear).
Gemini
Gemini is a practical solution for people who regularly use Google products like Gmail, Google Drive and Chrome. Unlike other AI tools that operate on their own interface, Gemini sits right on the same screen as Google apps, so you don’t need to waste time switching tabs.
Even if you don’t use Google products, Gemini is just as useful as other AI tools. But one thing that it does better than other AIs is image generation. Google has a larger network of data centers than other AI tools, so Gemini has more processing power available to it. You can generate images very quickly and often with more realistic touches than other AI platforms.
How Gemini responded to our prompt: Objectively, Gemini gave the best response. It kept things short and sweet, condensing the tips down to four main important points. It showed complexity by talking about how salting too early can dissolve proteins in the meat and create a rubbery texture. Where it really went the extra mile was its cooking instructions, complete with timing intervals for each step—something the other AI tools did not do.
Perplexity
McCarthy’s final recommendation is Perplexity, which started as an AI-powered search engine rather than a general-purpose AI like ChatGPT. It works more like a research partner, with direct citations linked to every claim it makes. McCarthy views Perplexity as one of the best AI platforms for accuracy, since it’s less likely to make up information.
While other tools don’t necessarily make up information more often, they don’t embed references as Perplexity does. Therefore, it’s more difficult to verify the information they provide. All AI is prone to “hallucination,” but you can trust the information more when there is a direct source linked in the response. Hallucination means that AI gives an answer that sounds confident and plausible but is wrong, unsupported or partly invented—AI can make up facts, misquote a real source, invent a source that does not exist or draw a stronger conclusion than the evidence supports.
How Perplexity responded to our prompt: Perplexity felt more robotic, which could be a good thing depending on how you prefer to use AI tools. It didn’t necessarily provide any unique tips…in fact, the information was almost identical to the other AIs. The main difference was that Perplexity included a hyperlink with every line of information it generated. These links went to cooking websites and forums, proving that its tips were legitimate pieces of advice from real humans.
Bottom line: All the AIs listed above can handle most beginner tasks, but they are not all equally good. ChatGPT is a good general-purpose starting point. Claude is especially strong for writing, reflection and careful feedback. Gemini is useful if you already live in Google tools such as Gmail and Google Drive. And Perplexity is best when you want research with visible sources.
Practical Ways to Use AI in Daily Life
AI is being used around the world for impressive feats. Examples: It has helped scientists predict protein structures in minutes, something that previously took years. It is being used in medical imaging to spot abnormalities that health-care professionals have missed…and it is used in banking to spot suspicious transactions and behaviors.
But the real magic of AI is how it can be used in everyday life. You don’t have to be a tech wizard to start using these tools. Some of the most practical uses of AI are the most basic ones, such as…
Automating routine tasks
AI can take the drudgery out of boring tasks. Example: You can use it to write an official letter to an insurance company, financial institution and other business in less than a minute.
Enhancing creativity
AI can help artists, writers and others improve their creative process. Its unique perspectives help overcome creative blocks and provide inspiration for projects. Example: You can provide AI with a rough draft of a story you wrote and ask for feedback. It will identify weak points and suggest how you can improve them. It may even offer an angle you’ve never considered.
Personal organization
Millions of people rely on AI for personal use. Example: It is very good at developing meal and workout plans. Instead of getting generic advice from disjointed sources, you provide AI with details about your goals and it produces a plan tailored to your needs.
Research and learning
You could use AI as a starting point for researching health symptoms. Rather than sifting through long articles on WebMD, you can input your symptoms, and AI will return possible causes that you can use in consultation with a physician.
Caution: Be careful when using AI for medical questions. AI does have an incredible amount of information, but it’s not a medical professional and it does not replace medical advice. It can be useful for understanding more about a condition and preparing questions for your doctor, but McCarthy says, “I wouldn’t at all change anything about my behavior or medical practices based on something that a chatbot said.”
Boosting productivity
You can use AI for productivity improvements. By automating mundane tasks and speeding up research processes, you can get hours back in your daily life. Example: If you use Gmail for sending e-mails, Gemini can analyze the context of the conversation and automatically draft responses. It will populate the text and all you have to do is click send. Depending on your line of work, AI can even be used to do some of your job, improving your output.
Tips for Using AI Effectively and Safely
AI’s output largely relies on user input. You’ve probably heard the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.” For AI, McCarthy likes to flip this phrase and think of it as “gold in, gold out.” The better the information you give AI, the better the results it will give you. You can achieve this by giving AI…
Context
Give the AI as much information as possible so it provides a relevant response grounded in something specific to you. Don’t expect highly detailed or personalized responses from top-level information.
Role
By default, McCarthy says that AIs are helpful assistants. While this is fine for general inquiries, it won’t excel at providing specific information. Example: If you need an answer to a health question, tell the AI beforehand that it is a general practitioner. Or if you need help planning a party, tell the AI that it’s an event planner. AI thrives when it’s given a role.
Clear action
Don’t beat around the bush with what you want the AI to do. Give it specific instructions. “If you’re vague, you’ll get vague answers. If you’re very specific, you’ll get very specific answers,” McCarthy says.
Accuracy
When it comes to the accuracy of results, McCarthy says, “Trust, but verify.” The big thing to keep in mind is that most AI models are updated only to a certain date. So if you’re asking for information about a current event, the AI may struggle to provide an accurate response. While most AI tools have started using web search for more recent information, it’s important to double-check sources. Note: You can use on AI to check the information provided by another—but it should be treated as a second opinion rather than proof. Better strategy: Ask another AI, especially one with web search or citations, “What might be wrong or missing in this answer?” Then check the original sources yourself before relying on anything important.
AI safety and privacy
By default, AI collects your information to train its own models. If you’re not comfortable with this, you can turn it off. Look for an option in privacy settings that says something along the lines of, “Improve the model for everyone” and turn that off. Privacy policies vary by platform. Users should check the relevant data/privacy settings for each platform.
Also: Don’t share confidential information with the AI. “One good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, Would I e-mail this document to a friend or family member? If your answer is yes, then you’re probably fine to upload it to an AI model.” McCarthy says. Never enter passwords, bank details or any other sensitive information.
Learning More: Courses and Resources
“Just jump in and start using the platforms,” says McCarthy. The best way to get better is to use AI in everyday life as much as possible. For a while, he kept a sticky note on his laptop with the question, “Can I use AI for this?”
For more intentional learning, nearly all major AI models offer free training on their platforms, with everything from beginner to advanced lessons. Additionally, AARP offers introductory courses for learning AI basics.
“Just get your hands dirty,” McCarthy says. “A lot of people are surprised and start having fun with AI, and that’s how they learn the most.”
