How to Get Started with AI

If you’ve been following my musings on the state of AI for a bit and think it’s time to dip your toes in, fear not. I’ve got your back. Alongside the big-picture ideas, I’m weaving in practical guides so you can get comfortable, avoid the rookie mistakes I made, and actually have fun with this stuff. Here’s your starting roadmap in an FAQ style.

So where do I start?

First, sign up for an AI tool. You can interact with it on your desktop through a browser or grab the app on your phone. I recommend doing both - your conversations sync, so you can start on your laptop, then head out for a walk and pick up the same chat on your iPhone or Android.

There’s so many - which one should I pick?

Ignore the noise. If you’ve started following the AI space, you’ll notice there are a lot of different AI models and variations thereof out there such as: Perplexity, ChatLLM, custom GPTs, etc. Push it all aside and pick one of the big four: ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google), and Grok (xAI).

Here’s my quick take:
- ChatGPT: A good all-rounder with handy built-in tools.
- Claude: Great for summarizing long stuff and friendly explanations.
- Gemini: Ties into all things Google - nice if you’re a Gmail and Docs person.
- Grok: Elon Musk’s version, built into X (Twitter) but heads up, you’ll need an X Premium subscription for it.

Honestly? They’re all pretty good. Pick one that feels right and stick with it for a bit. You’ll see people online raving that one model or another just dropped a new feature or “reasons better”. Don’t get FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). They all improve constantly. For what it’s worth, my hand goes up for ChatGPT, because it has some convenient built-in tools. For example, I find it easier to generate files and work with documents right in the chat, which isn’t as quite as smooth in the other models yet.

Quick Links:
- ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com
- Claude: https://claude.ai
- Gemini: https://gemini.google.com
- Grok: https://x.ai/grok

Should I pay for the extra features?

All the big models have a free version - perfect for getting the hang of things. However, if you start uploading files or using it heavily, you’ll probably bump into the limits. For example, ChatGPT Plus is $20/month and that extra power can be worth it once you’re asking deeper questions or handling bigger tasks, especially for business. Totally worth it.

No pressure, though - lots of folks stay free forever. Play first, then decide.

Okay. Now what?

This part’s the most fun: experiment. Sure, ask for a dinner recipe for the leftover chicken in the fridge or queue up a playlist. But push it a bit too - get help brainstorming a trip itinerary, draft a tricky text message, or figure out what the warning light on your car means when your manual’s lost under the seat. Seriously, that happened to me and ChatGPT guided me step by step to fix the problem.

And if you get a weird response sometimes? No problem - happens to everyone. I’ll share more tips soon on how to get the best results as you spend more time working with your AI.

So, you now have an AI model you like and you’ve got it to do a few things for you. Next up? We’ll learn how to personalize your AI so it responds better to whom it really matters: you.