Things to do · AI

Plan a real project with an AI assistant, and check its work

The quickest way to find out what these assistants are good for is to give one a job you actually need doing. Checking what it tells you is half the skill, and it is learned by doing.

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How to start

  1. Read our guide to a first conversation with an AI assistant.
  2. Ask it to plan something real: a trip, a garden bed, a family gathering.
  3. Pick three facts from its answer and check each against a source you trust.

Where to go

We opened these links on 6 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.

From the site

AI

Your first conversation with an AI assistant: what to type, and what comes back

A first-timer's guide to AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini: what you need to start, how a conversation differs from a search, how to ask so the answer is useful, and five ready-to-type first requests. It also covers what not to type in, why answers need checking, and where to learn alongside other people.

2 October 2026, 5 min read

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