Basics

Welcome to Pleasantly AI

• This first lesson starts from zero. Think of AI as a patient assistant that can read, write, sort, suggest, and explain — but still needs human judgement.
• AI is a tool, not magic
• You do not need a technical background
• We learn by using everyday examples first
• Safety and privacy come before speed

What is AI?

• Artificial Intelligence means software that can spot patterns and make useful guesses. A simple analogy: if a person learns recipes by reading thousands of cookbooks, AI learns patterns by studying huge amounts of examples.
• It does not 'know' things like a person
• It predicts likely answers from patterns
• It can be helpful, fluent, and wrong at the same time
• Your job is to guide it, check it, and decide what to use

Plain-English glossary

• These are the words you will hear often, explained without jargon.
• AI: the umbrella term for software that performs tasks that usually need human judgement
• Model: the trained 'engine' behind an AI tool, like the engine inside a car
• Prompt: your instruction to the AI, like a brief you give to an assistant
• Output: the answer AI gives back
• Training data: examples the model learned from, like practice material before an exam

More terms using everyday analogies

• Machine Learning: learning from examples, like improving at tennis after seeing many serves
• Large Language Model (LLM): a text prediction system, like autocomplete with a much bigger memory for language patterns
• Generative AI: AI that creates something new, like a kitchen that can suggest recipes from ingredients
• Hallucination: a confident mistake, like someone giving directions to a street that does not exist
• Context window: the amount of information AI can keep in mind at once, like the size of a notepad

AI vs a calculator

• Instead of: A calculator follows exact rules: 2 + 2 always equals 4.
• Try: AI works more like a writing partner: it gives a likely answer based on patterns, so you must review it.

Setting up your account

• Choose a provider (we'll demo ChatGPT)
• Use a strong, unique password
• Enable two-factor authentication if available
• Use the free tier to start — no need to pay yet

The interface tour

• Chat box: where you type
• Send button (or Enter)
• New chat: start fresh
• History: revisit past conversations

Weak vs strong prompt

• Instead of: Help me with food.
• Try: Suggest 5 easy Cantonese-style dinner ideas for a family of 4. No seafood. Under 30 minutes each.

Hands-on practice

• Write 3 prompts for your own home life: one for planning, one for learning, one for creativity.

Knowledge check

• What makes a prompt more useful?

Real uses at home

• Weekly meal planning & grocery lists
• Homework explanations (not cheating — learning)
• Birthday party planning
• Email drafts to school or activities

Hands-on practice

• Build a weekly family planner prompt. Include: number of people, dietary needs, school schedule, and budget.

Analogy or example

• Tap for a sample output structure
• Mon–Fri schedule → Meals → Errands → Appointments → Notes. Ask AI to output as a simple table.

Tips for daily use

• Save your best prompts in Notes
• Start fresh chats for new topics
• Iterate: 'Make it shorter' or 'Add prices in HKD'

Knowledge check

• Best use of AI for homework help?

Hong Kong privacy basics (PDPO)

• The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance protects personal data. You control what you share.
• Personal data = anything identifying a person
• Companies must handle data responsibly
• You have rights to access and correct your data

Never share with AI

• HKID numbers
• Bank account or credit card details
• Passwords or OTP codes
• Children's full names + school + address together
• Medical records of others

Hands-on practice

• Red-flag exercise: Review 5 sample prompts. Mark each SAFE or UNSAFE and explain why.

Hallucinations

• AI can invent facts, citations, or products. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Knowledge check

• AI gives you a legal citation. What should you do?

Popular AI assistants

• ChatGPT — versatile, huge ecosystem
• Claude — strong at long documents & nuance
• Gemini — Google integration
• Copilot — Microsoft 365 integration

Free vs paid

• Instead of: I'll pay immediately for the most expensive plan.
• Try: Start free, learn the basics, upgrade only when you hit clear limits for your goals.

Hands-on practice

• Pick your starter toolkit (1–2 tools) and write your Personal AI Policy: what you will and won't use AI for.

Take-home

• Complete your Personal AI Safety Charter in the portal — a one-page reference for your household.

Knowledge check

• Best reason to choose a specific AI tool?