AI guides
AI, explained without the hype.
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot are showing up on every computer in the office. These guides explain what they actually are, where they get things wrong, how to use them without leaking anything you shouldn't, and how scammers are using the same tools. Written for everyone, with extra detail for IT pros, and every guide shows the date its facts were last checked.
7 guides · about 60 minutes of reading · free, no sign-up
The guides
Read them in any order. New to AI? Start with the basics.
Basics
What AI chatbots are, how they work, and where they go wrong.
- What AI is, and how chatbots like ChatGPT actually workA plain-English explanation of AI chatbots: what a large language model is, why it sounds so confident, and the handful of terms you'll keep running into.
- What AI is good at, where it fails, and how to check its workHallucinations, knowledge cutoffs and confident wrong answers: what AI chatbots do well, where they go wrong, and a simple routine for checking anything they tell you.
Compare
The major assistants side by side: plans, prices, privacy settings and features.
Safety
What never to paste in, and how criminals are using AI against you.
- Using AI safely: what never to paste in, and setting workplace rulesWhat to keep out of AI chatbots, how to turn off training on your chats, why work should happen in work accounts, and a simple starting point for an office AI policy.
- AI-powered scams: cloned voices, deepfake video and fake bossesHow criminals use AI to impersonate family members, executives and officials, the warning signs, and the simple office habits that stop these scams cold.
At work
Putting AI to work in an office or IT shop without creating new problems.
- Putting AI to work in a small officePractical, low-risk ways an office manager or small team can use AI assistants for email, documents, spreadsheets and meetings, and the jobs to keep away from it.
- AI for IT work: scripts, troubleshooting and documentation, minus the risksHow a one-person IT shop or small MSP can use AI assistants for scripting, troubleshooting and documentation, plus the specific risks: invented commands, fake packages, prompt injection and over-privileged agents.
How these guides are kept honest
AI products change every few weeks, so every guide shows when its facts were last checked against the vendors' own pages. The comparison guide is re-checked every two weeks and the rest every month. This site uses Claude, made by Anthropic, to help research and draft its content, which is exactly why the comparisons stick to checkable facts instead of opinions. No AI company sponsors this site or pays for placement.
Want the IT fundamentals too?
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