Start with AI: your first 10 minutes
After this you'll be able to:
- pick one free AI app and sign in safely
- ask a first question that gets a useful answer
- know when to double-check what it says
What an AI chatbot is
An app or website you talk to like a well-read helper. You type or say a question; it writes back in seconds. You can reply to change the answer: "shorter", "simpler", "friendlier".
Pick one free app
Any of the big ones is fine to start. Type the address yourself, or check the app maker in your app store.
- Grok: grok.com
- Claude: claude.ai
- Gemini: gemini.google.com
- ChatGPT: chatgpt.com
- Copilot: copilot.microsoft.com
Ask your first question
Say what you want, add the details, and say how you want it ("as a list", "in 3 sentences").
Prompt: your first question
Write a short, polite email to my landlord asking when the broken dishwasher will be fixed. It's been two weeks. Keep it friendly.
Double-check anything important
AI can be confidently wrong. xAI itself tells users to "carefully consider and verify" Grok's answers. 1 For health, money or legal questions, use AI to understand and prepare, then check with a real source.
What does each free version give you?
- Grok: Limited Grok chat (Fast mode), limited image generation and limited agent requests.
- Claude: Chat on web, desktop and phone with Sonnet and Haiku; web search; create files and run code; memory; voice mode; connectors; up to 5 projects.
- Gemini: Gemini app with the Flash-Lite model, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live (voice), Canvas, files you can create and edit in the chat (PDFs on phone too; Docs, Sheets, slides and more on the web), Gems and 15 GB of Google storage.
- ChatGPT: Everyday chat with a fast model, a Think option for harder questions, web search, limited file uploads, voice and image tools.
- Copilot: Copilot chat on the web, Windows and phone, with Smart mode, Think Deeper, Study and learn, and Search.
From each company's own pages. Grok2 Claude3 Gemini4 ChatGPT5 Copilot6