Start Here: AI Basics in Plain English

New to AI, or tried it once and weren't sure what to do next?

This guide covers the basics: what an AI chatbot is, how to find one safely, how to ask good questions, and how to protect your privacy. Every other guide on this site builds on it.

Just so you know: The Associated Press visited an intro-to-AI class at a senior center outside Chicago. Barbara Winston, 89, a retired professor, said: "I saw ice boxes turn into refrigerators, that is how long I have been around. And I think this is probably the greatest technical revolution that I will see in my lifetime." Another student, 79, asked the question on many minds: "How do you know if it is fake or not?" (AP). This guide answers both sides: how to use AI, and how to stay skeptical.

In this guide

What an AI chatbot is (and isn't)
How to get to one safely
Which AI companies are established
What a prompt is, and how to write a good one
Links: how to see where one really goes
Copy, paste, and screenshots
Privacy: what never to type into AI
AI mistakes: made-up facts and fake content
Short glossary

1. What an AI chatbot is (and isn't)

An AI chatbot is a free app or website where you type (or say) a question in everyday words, and it writes back an answer in everyday words. You can ask it to explain something, help you write a letter, plan a trip, or take a second look at a message that seems fishy.

It is a very fast helper for explaining, writing, summarizing, and brainstorming. It doesn't get impatient, so you can ask the same thing as many times as you need.
It isn't a person, a doctor, a lawyer, or a financial adviser. It doesn't know you, and it can't check your bank account or your Medicare plan. (Although, if you become really good at AI, you can let certain, specialized, safe AI tools look at and report on your checking, savings, and stocks. But we aren’t going there.)
It isn't always right. It writes by predicting which words are likely to come next, and the most likely words aren't always the true ones. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, says plainly that "you should not rely on the factual accuracy" of its answers (OpenAI privacy policy). More on that in section 8.

2. How to get to one safely

Use only the official website or the official app. Type the web address yourself, or tap the app's name in your phone's own app store (the App Store on an iPhone, Google Play on Android).

ChatGPT: chatgpt.com
Google Gemini: gemini.google.com
Microsoft Copilot: copilot.microsoft.com
Claude: claude.ai

Two others you may run into: Meta AI (meta.ai, also built into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) and Grok (grok.com, also inside the X app, formerly Twitter). I use all of them, because for my case, each one is best at something I need.

Watch out for look-alike apps. App stores are full of copycat "AI" apps that borrow the ChatGPT or Gemini name and logo. Some just show ads; some charge a weekly subscription for something that's free elsewhere; a few are malware (Malwarebytes). Before you tap "Get" or "Install," check the publisher name shown under the app's name:

ChatGPT should say OpenAI
Gemini should say Google
Copilot should say Microsoft
Claude should say Anthropic

If the name is slightly different, or it's a person's name, skip it. And never install an "AI app" from a link in an ad, text, or email.

3. Which AI companies are established

The chatbots above come from large, well-known companies. Each one publishes a privacy policy that explains what it collects and what choices you have:

ChatGPT is made by OpenAI (privacy policy).
Gemini is made by Google (Gemini privacy hub).
Copilot is made by Microsoft (Copilot privacy page).
Claude is made by Anthropic (privacy policy).
Meta AI is made by Meta, the company that owns Facebook.
Grok is made by SpaceXAI (formerly xAI), part of SpaceX (privacy policy).

What "established" does mean: a real company you can look up, an official app, a published privacy policy, and settings you can change.

What it doesn't mean: that the answers are always right, or that your conversations are private the way a talk with your doctor is. Every one of these tools can make mistakes. I don't rank them, and I don't pick one based on anybody's politics. Use the one you like. The prompts in my guides work in all of them.

You don't need to pay. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Meta AI, and Grok all list a $0 free plan (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, Meta AI, Grok). Paid plans mostly give you more use per day. The free versions are enough for everything on this site. Be wary of any app, ad, or caller that says you must pay to use "real" Chatbot.

4. What a prompt is, and how to write a good one

A prompt is simply what you type (or say) to the AI. There's no special code. Plain English works best. A good prompt usually has four parts:

Who you are: "I'm over 60 and new to this."
What you want: "Explain..." "Write..." "Help me decide..."
The details: who it's for, what happened, what you already know.
How you want the answer: "in plain English," "in 5 short bullet points," "under 30 words."

Try this first prompt. Copy it, paste it into any of the chatbots above, and see what comes back:

I'm over 60 and new to AI. Explain in plain English what you can help me with and what you can't. Keep it to 5 short bullet points.

Details make the difference. Here's the same request, written two ways.

A vague prompt:

Write a birthday message.

A better prompt:

I'm writing a birthday card for my granddaughter. She's turning 16 and loves horses. Write 3 short, warm messages I could choose from. Keep each one under 30 words.

"Explain like I'm new to this." This one phrase works on almost any topic:

Explain like I'm new to this: what is a QR code, and is it safe to scan one? Use plain English and one everyday example.

Ask follow-up questions. The first answer is just the start of the conversation. You can reply with:

Make that shorter.

Explain that like I'm new to this.

Give me the steps one at a time. Wait until I say "done" before the next one.

What in your answer should I double-check, and where?

Not sure how to ask? Let the AI interview you:

I want help with [describe it]. Before you answer, ask me questions one at a time until you understand what I need.

On a phone, you can also tap the microphone and say your prompt out loud instead of typing it.

5. Links: how to see where one really goes

A link is text or a button you tap or click to go to a web page. The words you see ("Track your package") can say anything. The web address behind them is what matters, and scammers count on you not checking it.

On a computer: rest your mouse pointer on the link without clicking. The real web address shows in a small box or in the bottom corner of the window. To copy it without opening it, right-click the link and choose "Copy link" or "Copy link address."
On a phone: pressing and holding a link shows its address, but on some phones it also opens a small preview of the website. If a preview pops up, don't tap it. When in doubt, don't touch the link at all.
Spot the real website name. A web address can have a real company's name in it and still be fake. Scammers put the real name at the beginning to fool you. The part that tells you who really owns the website is near the end. Here's the easy way to check:
1. Find the first slash: / (If there's no slash, use the very end of the address.)
2. Just in front of the slash, you'll see an ending like .com, .net, or .org.
3. The word right before that ending is the website's real name.
Fake example:
wellsfargo.com.account-help.net/login
The word right before ".net" and the slash is account-help. So this website belongs to account-help.net. It is not Wells Fargo, even though "wellsfargo" is at the beginning.

Real example:
www.wellsfargo.com/
Here the word right before ".com" and the slash is wellsfargo. That's the real Wells Fargo.
The safest habit: don't use links in surprise messages at all. Type the company's address yourself, or open its official app.

You can paste a link you've copied into AI and ask, "Does this web address look like it belongs to the real company? Don't open it; just look at the address." Then still check for yourself.

6. Copy, paste, and screenshots

To get something in front of the AI, you'll either copy and paste the words, or take a picture of your screen (a screenshot) and attach it.

Copy and paste on a phone

Copy: press and hold on a word until it's highlighted. Drag the little handles to cover all the text you want, then tap Copy.
Paste: in the AI app, press and hold in the box where you type, then tap Paste.

Copy and paste on a computer

Windows: select the text with your mouse, press Ctrl + C to copy, click in the AI's typing box, and press Ctrl + V to paste (Microsoft).
Mac: the same, using Command-C and Command-V (Apple).

Take a screenshot

iPhone with Face ID: quickly press and release the side button and the volume-up button at the same time. iPhone with a Home button: press the Home button and the side button together (Apple).
Android: press the Power and Volume-down buttons at the same time (Google).
Windows: press the Windows logo key + Shift + S, then drag over the part of the screen you want (Microsoft).
Mac: press Shift, Command, and 4 together, then drag over the part you want (Apple).

Attach the screenshot to AI. In the AI app, tap the + (plus) or paperclip button next to the typing box, choose your photo or file, then type your question. Before you send it, crop out anything private, like account numbers or your address.

I've attached a screenshot of something on my screen that I don't understand. Explain in plain English what it is and what my choices are.

7. Privacy: what never to type into AI

Never type or upload: your Social Security number, Medicare number, bank or debit card account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, or the codes companies text you to sign in. The AI doesn't need any of them to help you. If you are copying and pasting, type [removed] in their place.

Why be careful? Your chats are stored by the company, and some may be read by people. Google says human reviewers read some Gemini chats, and asks you not to enter "confidential information that you wouldn't want a reviewer to see" (Google).

Settings worth knowing about (names can change; look in Settings):

ChatGPT: Go to settings, then Data controls, then turn off "Improve the model for everyone." Your new chats won't be used to train its AI. A Temporary chat isn't saved to your history (OpenAI).
Gemini: when "Keep Activity" is on, your chats are saved, and Google uses them to improve its services, including training its AI. You can turn it off in Gemini Apps Activity. Even with it off, Google says it still uses your chats to respond to you and to help protect users, with help from human reviewers (Google).
Claude: you choose whether your chats can be used to improve Claude, and you can change that choice in your Privacy Settings at any time (Anthropic).
Copilot: Microsoft lists its memory, chat-history, and ad choices on its privacy controls page.
Meta AI and Grok: check the app's settings and its maker's privacy policy before sharing anything personal.

Turning these off is a good habit. It doesn't make a chat secret, so the "never type" rule above still applies.

8. AI mistakes: made-up facts and fake content

AI can be wrong, and it can sound completely sure of itself while it's wrong. Experts call this a hallucination. The government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes it as "confidently stated but erroneous or false content" (NIST). It can invent:

facts, dates, and numbers
laws, rules, and deadlines
Medicare or insurance plan details
quotes, sources, and web links that don't exist

A real example of why this matters. Fox News and the New York Post reported on a 60-year-old man who asked ChatGPT about replacing table salt in his diet. He swapped in sodium bromide, a chemical mostly used today for cleaning and manufacturing, for three months, and ended up in the hospital with bromide poisoning, according to a case study in a medical journal (Fox News, New York Post). The lesson: use AI to learn and prepare, then check health, money, and legal answers with a professional.

AI can also make fake content. The FBI warns that criminals use AI to write convincing messages, create fake photos and ID documents, clone a loved one's voice, and make fake videos (FBI). The FTC warns that a scammer needs only a short clip of a family member's voice, which can come from something posted online, to make a call that sounds just like them (FTC). My Family Safe Word guide shows how to protect against that.

How to check an answer:

Ask your AI where to verify it:

Where can I check this on an official website? Give me the name of the organization, not just a link.

Then go to that organization yourself, by typing its address or calling a number you already have. Don't just trust a link the AI gives you.
For health, money, legal, or Medicare decisions, confirm with your doctor, pharmacist, plan, Medicare, or a licensed professional.

9. Short glossary

AI (artificial intelligence): computer programs that can do things like understand questions and write answers.
Chatbot: an AI you talk with by typing or speaking, like ChatGPT or Gemini.
Prompt: what you type or say to the chatbot.
Follow-up: a second question in the same chat, like "make it shorter."
Hallucination: when AI states something false as if it were true.
Deepfake: a fake photo, video, or voice recording made with AI to look or sound real.
Link: text or a button that takes you to a web page.
Web address (URL): the location of a web page, like chatgpt.com, or grok.com.
Screenshot: a picture of whatever is on your screen.
Attach / upload: send a photo or file to the AI along with your question.
Free tier: the no-cost version of an AI app.
Publisher (developer): the company that made an app, shown under its name in the app store.
Phishing: a fake message or e-mail designed to trick you into clicking, paying, or sharing private information.

Where to go next

Ready to put it to work? Start with either Is This Text a Scam? or Is This Email a Scam?, or browse all the guides.

Remember: AI can be wrong. It can make mistakes, make things up (hallucinate), and create fake content, including fake facts, links, images, and voices, and it can sound sure about something false. Check anything important with an official source or a professional.

Safety rule: Never type your Social Security number, Medicare number, passwords, bank account numbers, or credit card numbers into an AI tool. Always check health, legal, and money answers with a professional.

Please note: I'm not a licensed attorney, financial adviser, insurance agent, or security professional. Smarter After 60 is independent and isn't affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, Meta, SpaceXAI, or any other AI company, or with any bank, government agency, or Medicare. This guide is for education only.

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