You have read about what AI is, what it can and cannot do, and how other people are using it. Now it is time to try it yourself.
This article walks you through your first real interaction with three of the most popular AI tools, all of which have a free version you can use right now. No credit card required for any of them. No software to install. Just open a web browser and go.
Before You Start
All three tools work essentially the same way: you type something in, and the AI responds. Think of it like texting someone who is very fast, very knowledgeable, and never annoyed by your questions. If the first response is not quite what you wanted, just tell it what to change. It is a conversation, not a one-shot query.
Do not paste in passwords, sensitive financial details, or anything you would not want a stranger to read. These tools are run by companies, and while they have privacy policies, treating them the way you would treat any online service is a smart default.
Tool 1: ChatGPT
What it is: ChatGPT is made by OpenAI and is currently the most widely used AI chatbot. The free version gives you access to their latest model, GPT-5.2, with a limit of about 10 messages every five hours before it switches to a lighter model.
How to access it: Go to chatgpt.com and sign up with your email, Google account, or Apple ID. You can also download the app on your phone.
Three things to try right now:
Ask it to explain something you have always been confused by. Type something like: "Explain how mortgage interest rates work in plain language. Assume I know nothing about finance." Notice how you can tell it what level to pitch the explanation at. If it is still too complicated, just say "simpler please" and it will adjust.
Paste in a long email and ask it to summarize. Copy a wordy email you have received (remove anything sensitive first) and type: "Summarize this email in three bullet points. What is the sender actually asking me to do?" This is one of the most common uses of AI and a good way to see its strength with text.
Ask it for help drafting a reply. Take that same email and type: "Help me write a reply that says I can do what they are asking but I need two more weeks. Keep it professional but warm." Look at the draft, change whatever does not sound like you, and send it. You just used AI to do in two minutes what might have taken fifteen.
Tool 2: Claude
What it is: Claude is made by Anthropic. The free version gives you access to Claude Sonnet 4.5 with a session-based limit that resets every five hours. Claude tends to be particularly strong at longer, more thoughtful responses and at working through complex documents.
How to access it: Go to claude.ai and sign up with your email or Google account. Also available as a mobile app.
Three things to try right now:
Upload a document and ask questions about it. Claude handles document analysis well. Try uploading a PDF, like a lease agreement, insurance policy, or a long report, and ask: "Summarize this document in plain language. What are the three most important things I should know?" The free tier supports file uploads including PDFs, Word documents, and spreadsheets.
Ask it to help you think through a decision. Type something like: "I am trying to decide whether to take a new job that pays 15% more but requires a longer commute. Help me think through the pros and cons. Ask me questions if you need more information." Notice how you can invite AI to ask you clarifying questions, turning it into more of a thinking partner than a vending machine.
Ask it to rewrite something in a different tone. Paste in an email you have written and type: "Rewrite this to sound more confident and direct, but not aggressive." Compare the two versions. You will often find that the AI version gives you ideas for phrasing you would not have thought of, even if you end up mostly keeping your original.
Tool 3: Google Gemini
What it is: Gemini is Google's AI assistant. The free version uses their Gemini model and integrates with Google's ecosystem. If you already have a Google account, you are essentially already set up.
How to access it: Go to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account. Also built into the Google app on mobile.
Three things to try right now:
Ask a research question and compare it to a regular Google search. Try: "What are the main differences between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA? Explain which might be better for someone in their 30s earning a moderate income." Compare this to typing the same question into Google Search. Notice how Gemini gives you a direct, structured answer instead of a list of links to click through.
Ask it to help you organize your thoughts. Type: "I need to give a five-minute presentation about our team's progress this quarter. Here are the main things that happened: [list a few bullet points]. Help me organize these into a clear structure with an opening, middle, and closing." This is a great use for anyone who knows what they want to say but struggles with how to structure it.
Ask it to help you learn something. Try: "Teach me the basics of how the stock market works. Start with the absolute fundamentals and check in with me after each concept to make sure I understand before moving on." This interactive approach turns Gemini into a patient tutor that moves at your pace.
Quick Tips for Getting Better Results
After trying all three tools, you will probably notice that some responses are better than others. Here is what makes the difference.
Be specific about what you want. "Help me write something" is vague. "Help me write a two-paragraph email to my landlord requesting a repair to the kitchen faucet, polite but firm" is specific. The more detail you give, the better the output.
Tell it who you are and what context matters. "Explain machine learning" will get you a generic answer. "Explain machine learning to me. I am a marketing manager with no technical background, and I need to understand it well enough to evaluate vendors who claim to use it" will get you something much more useful.
Treat it as a conversation. If the first answer is too long, say "shorter." If it is too formal, say "more casual." If it missed something important, say "you left out X, please add that." The back and forth is where the real value is. Most people stop after the first response. The people who get great results are the ones who refine.
Try the same question in all three tools. Each one has a slightly different personality and set of strengths. You might find that ChatGPT gives you the fastest, most conversational answers. Claude might give you longer, more carefully structured responses. Gemini might surprise you with how well it connects to information you care about. There is no single "best" tool. The best one is the one that works best for you and your particular needs.
What You Just Did
You used AI. Three different tools, several different types of tasks, and the total time was probably around ten minutes.
It probably was not as scary or as magical as you expected. That is exactly the point. AI is a tool. It does some things well and other things badly, just like every other tool you use. The more you use it, the better you get at knowing when to reach for it and when to do things yourself.
The next article in this series zooms out to the big picture: how AI is changing work and what the evidence actually says about its impact on jobs and careers.