Intimidated by AI? Here’s How to Get Started
It’s 2025, and generative AI is only getting bigger. If you’ve been too intimidated to get into the chatbot game, now’s your chance.
ROSIE ROCHE
By Nicole Nguyen
May 4, 2025 5:30 am ET
If you have a friend, child or co-worker who won’t shut up about ChatGPT or some other generative-AI chatbot, but you’ve been too embarrassed to ask where to start, this is for you. The buzzy, mysterious tech is transforming every aspect of our lives, from high-school English to pharmaceutical discovery.
At the very least, by using these tools, you’ll understand how generative AI is changing our world. And you might discover some productivity hacks for your own life in the process. Recent breakthroughs in image generation create impressive pictures within minutes. And voice chats and other advanced tools are now available in free accounts.
We will be sending out an AI Challenge email for the remaining four Saturdays in May to recipients of WSJ’s free weekly Technology newsletter. The goal is to give you some extra help learning how to use AI, with practical home and office examples right in your inbox. Sign up so you don’t miss it!
First, a primer. If you’re wondering which bot to use and how all this is different from searching the web, welcome, you’re in the right place.
Choose your bot
Don’t think of a “chatbot” as a conversational buddy. It’s a massive trove of information and “learning” that you can access by typing or speaking plainly.
Each bot has a different personality and a different way of surfacing information. While they were all trained on books, websites and other media—gazillions of words, images and sounds—each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Microsoft’s Copilot, left, has a beginner-friendly interface, while Anthropic’s Claude is marketed as a 'privacy-first' AI.
• OpenAI’s ChatGPT was first on the scene and is the most well-known. It has the most features—including a (subscribers-only) video generator.
• Microsoft Copilot, powered by a mix of OpenAI and Microsoft MSFT 2.32%increase; green up pointing triangle
tech, has an approachable interface for beginners.
• Google’s Gemini brings search into the mix and can export data to Docs.
• Anthropic’s Claude markets itself as “safety-first” AI. It currently doesn’t have image or voice tools.
And there are many others, including Meta AI and xAI’s Grok.
You can try most free through a web browser or mobile app, often with an account sign-up. Free accounts tend to limit how far you can go, and premium accounts typically cost $20 a month.
How—and why—to prompt
Generative AI can save you time. A chatbot can synthesize a relevant answer in seconds, instead of sending you down a 15-minute search rabbit hole. Once you get the hang of it, you can consult it as a thought partner for more-creative pursuits.
The technology can still make mistakes, known as hallucinations, but it is maturing. And its responses often provide the starting point you’re looking for.
It all starts with a prompt—a specific instruction or question for the AI. Think of it as shaping your request to coax a better response. For best results, follow these guidelines:
• Undo your search brain. Instead of searching “bikes under $500,” provide more detail.
I’m looking for a bike under $500. What kind of materials and components should I consider to balance quality and performance with affordability?
• Be specific. AI will fill in details you leave out, so add as much context as you can. The wordier your prompt, the more personalized the response.
• Add a reference. Adjust its tone by asking something like “Write in the style of The Wall Street Journal’s Nicole Nguyen.” (But please don’t.) You can also specify the role it should play by starting with “You are a foreign language tutor” or “You are an interior decorator.”
• Make it up. Want to dream up something that doesn’t exist? AI can generate all-new stories, poems or images. (You can also upload your own image for AI to play with.)
Create an image of a happy black Lab puppy in San Francisco’s Alamo Square Park in the style of 1990s anime.
You want a cute puppy pic that doesn’t exist? Ask AI to make it for you.
• Keep it focused. Bots sometimes spew words, so impose a limit: “List three pros and cons” or “summarize a concept in two paragraphs.” To prevent confusion, avoid unrelated questions in the same prompt.
• Ask for citations. If you’re worried about credibility, ask the AI to cite its sources. The bot will link to source material from, for example, government websites or peer-reviewed studies. To be extra careful, check those sources.
• Follow up. Unsure about the response? Say “walk me through how you arrived at this conclusion, step by step.” You can also prompt the bot to elaborate or rewrite the reply.
• Format the response. Say “give me a bullet list” or “put this into an easy-to-read table.” You can also ask for a downloadable, printable PDF response.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you tried AI? What advice do you have for beginners? Join the conversation below.
Ready to level up?
Tinker with these newer features. I specify which chatbot to try here, because availability varies.
• Web search: It’s handy for shopping, recipes and how-to’s. Use ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude or Perplexity. You can press a button or flip the “web search” switch for more real-ti me info.
ChatGPT’s voice mode lets you talk to your bot naturally. You can adjust AI’s accent and personality in settings.
• Voice mode: You can talk to your bot, even practice a foreign language. Use ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini. Hit the mic and ask away.
• Deep research: To have the bot sift through huge amounts of public information and generate a tidy report, select “deep research.” Use ChatGPT or Claude. The bot can take anywhere from a few minutes to a half-hour to compile.
AI is powerful but imperfect. Always fact-check critical information and keep private and personal information confidential. And remember: In an emergency, you should still call 911—don’t just ask AI!
wsj.com
archive.ph |
