Is it safe to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude?

Yes, with common sense. Treat them like a conversation in a public café — don't share passwords, confidential work documents, financial data, or personal information you wouldn't say out loud in front of strangers. The tools themselves are not out to get you. Just apply the same judgment you'd use anywhere online.

Does AI save my conversations?

Most free AI tools do save your conversations and may use them to improve their models. You can turn this off in the privacy settings of most major tools including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. It takes about sixty seconds and is worth doing.

What should I never put into an AI tool?

Passwords, financial account details, confidential client information, sensitive work documents, home addresses, and anything your employer would have strong feelings about. When in doubt, leave it out.

Can my boss see what I type into AI tools?

If you're using a free consumer version on your personal device, your employer generally cannot see your conversations. If your workplace provides AI tools or has enterprise agreements, different rules may apply. When in doubt, check your workplace policy before you paste anything.

Is the free version of AI tools less private than paid?

Generally yes. Free tiers typically have broader data collection than paid or enterprise versions. If you're using AI for sensitive work it's worth understanding which version you're on and what that means for your data.

Which AI tool is the most private?

All major AI tools have privacy settings worth checking. Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini all let you opt out of having your conversations used for training. No tool is completely private but all of them give you meaningful control if you look for it.

What is AI in plain English?

AI is software that can understand language, generate text, analyse information, and assist with tasks. The most common type for everyday use is a large language model — which is just a fancy way of saying it's been trained on an enormous amount of text and learned to have a conversation from it.

Do you need to know coding to use AI?

No. Most modern AI tools work through conversation. You type what you need, it responds. No technical knowledge required.

Is ChatGPT the same as AI?

No. ChatGPT is one example of a conversational AI tool, made by a company called OpenAI. There are many others including Claude, Gemini, and Copilot. They all do similar things but taste slightly different.

What are the best AI tools for beginners?

ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are the best starting points for beginners. They're free to use, work through simple conversation, and you really can't break them. ChatGPT is the most well known, Claude is particularly good for thinking things through, and Gemini integrates well with Google tools you probably already use.

How do you write a good AI prompt?

A good prompt tells the AI who you are, what you need, how you want it done, who it's for, what you don't want, and what good looks like. The more detail you give it, the better the result. Vague in, vague out — every single time.

What is artificial intelligence in plain English?

Artificial intelligence is software that can understand language, generate text, analyse information, and assist with everyday tasks. The most common type for everyday use is a large language model — trained on enormous amounts of text and designed to have a conversation with you in plain English.

What is a prompt in AI?

A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. The quality of what comes back depends entirely on the quality of what you put in. A good prompt includes context, method, audience, constraints, and an expected result. Vague in, vague out — every single time.

ChatGPT is a conversational AI tool made by OpenAI. It understands plain English, responds to questions and instructions, and can help with writing, research, problem solving, and everyday tasks. It was the first mainstream AI tool of its kind when it launched in 2022 and remains the most widely used.

What is a large language model?

A large language model is a type of AI trained on enormous amounts of text. It learns patterns in language and uses them to generate responses, answer questions, and have conversations. ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are all large language models. The name sounds technical but the experience is just a conversation.

Claude is a conversational AI tool made by Anthropic. It is particularly good at thinking things through, writing, and nuanced conversation. Like ChatGPT and Gemini it works through plain English conversation and requires no technical knowledge to use.

Gemini is Google's conversational AI tool. It integrates well with Google products like Gmail, Docs, and Drive, and is available free to anyone with a Google account. Like ChatGPT and Claude it works through plain English conversation.

AI literacy is the ability to understand, use, and think critically about artificial intelligence tools. It does not require technical knowledge or coding skills. It means knowing what AI can and cannot do, how to get useful results from it, and how to protect your privacy when using it.

What is prompt engineering?

Prompt engineering is the skill of writing clear, detailed instructions for AI tools to get better results. Despite the technical name it requires no coding knowledge — it is simply learning how to place a good order. The better your prompt, the better the output.

Mostly yes, with the same common sense you'd apply anywhere online. AI tools are genuinely useful and the major ones are built by companies with serious privacy and security obligations. That said, they can get things wrong, fill in gaps with confident-sounding nonsense, and occasionally misread what you're asking. The trick isn't blind trust or blanket suspicion. It's knowing when to verify what comes back.

If I download ChatGPT on my phone, can it see everything?

Short answer: no. ChatGPT can only see what you actively type or paste into it. It doesn't have access to your photos, emails, messages, contacts, or anything else on your phone unless you specifically share it in the conversation. You're in control of what goes in. The same common sense applies as anywhere online though. Don't share passwords, financial details, or anything you wouldn't say out loud in a café.

Tell it exactly what you want.

It'll go all night.

black and white image of receipts pinned to a board

Why is AI giving me bad answers?

You've tried AI, got back something completely wrong or so generic it was basically useless, and thought "well that was a waste of time."

We've all been there, truly.

But if you walk into a restaurant and order "a pasta dish" you cannot get mad at the kitchen for bringing you a carbonara when what you actually wanted was fettuccine with rosé sauce. You didn't tell them. That's on you, not the restaurant.

AI works exactly the same way. A vague order gets a vague result. Every single time, without fail, no exceptions.

A good prompt is really just a recipe. It tells the AI who you are, what you need, how you want it done, and what to leave out. The more detail you put in, the better what comes out. And the better you get at it, the more satisfying the results. Trust us on that one.

Placing a good order with AI is called prompting and it sounds way more technical than it actually is. Promise.

So what goes into a good prompt?

Scroll down for the Perfect Prompt framework. And while you're at it, sign up and take the recipe card home.

black and white image of a waiter taking an order on a little pad with a pen. The customers hand and menu can be seen in the foreground

How to write a good AI prompt… and actually get something useful back.

The Perfect Prompt is a simple framework that works with any AI tool on the shelf, whether that’s tomato sauce, mustard, or bbq. Think of it as your order sheet. Fill in the details and you'll get exactly what you asked for.

The Perfect Prompt

The Ingredients

What information does the AI need to understand your situation? Don't assume it knows anything. Tell it who you are, what's going on, and what's led you to this moment.

"I'm writing an email to a client who missed a payment and I want to sound firm but not aggressive" is an ingredient list.

"Write me an email about a missed payment" is just pointing vaguely at the pantry. The AI will grab something. It won’t be what you wanted.

The Method

How do you want it done? Formal or casual? Long or short? Bullet points or flowing paragraphs? A draft to work from or a finished product?

Don't specify and it'll make a choice for you. It's usually fine. It's often not quite right.

Serves

Who is this for? Your boss? Your teenager? A complete stranger who knows nothing about your industry?

The audience changes everything.

Tell it who's on the receiving end and it adjusts its language, tone, and assumptions accordingly. Every single time.

Dietary Notes

What do you NOT want? This is the bit most people forget and it makes an enormous difference. No jargon. No bullet points. Don't make it sound corporate. Don't use the word "synergy." Don't make it longer than two paragraphs.

Negative instructions are just as important as positive ones. Sometimes more.

Expected Result

What does good look like? If you can describe the finished dish you're going to get a lot closer to it.

"Something that sounds like me, not like a press release" is an expected result. So is "three options to choose from" or "a first draft I can edit" or "just the key points, nothing else."

The more specific you are about what you want, the less you have to fix afterwards.

Turns out the secret to a satisfying result is knowing exactly what you want and not being shy about asking for it.

Who knew.