Module 1 – What is ChatGPT?
Total time: about 15–20 minutes · Roughly 10 minutes reading, 5–10 minutes practice
At an easy pace you discover what ChatGPT is (and what it is not), you set aside barriers and misunderstandings, and you feel like trying it yourself later. You do not need to memorise anything or be technical, reading and thinking along is enough. You get to know ChatGPT and the wider topic of “artificial intelligence”. We take time to clear up myths and spark your curiosity.
About this course
This course teaches you to use AI for structure, wording, and preparation. AI output is always draft material until you have checked the content, accuracy, and safety. Only paste identifiable information about yourself or others when you know that is appropriate in your situation, when in doubt, do not paste.
Lesson 1.1 – What exactly is ChatGPT?
Goal: understand in simple terms what ChatGPT is.
Welcome to the very first lesson. Here we explain in plain language what ChatGPT actually is. No difficult words, no technical fuss. Imagine you have a smart, super-patient helper you can always ask, that is ChatGPT.
You can see it as a mix of a search engine, an explainer, and a writing assistant. Instead of searching endlessly yourself, you simply type your question or task. For example: “Explain what inflation is, as if I were 12.” Or: “Write a friendly email to my colleague to explain something.” And ChatGPT gives you text back right away.
Important to know: ChatGPT is not a person. It has no feelings and no opinions of its own. It is a computer program that learned how language works by reading a huge amount of text. That is how it can recognise your sentences, spot connections, and produce new sentences that sound logical.
It is also not a “magic box” that knows everything. It is a tool that is very good at language. If you say clearly what you want, ChatGPT can help you think, write, summarise, or explain. But you stay the one who decides what to do with the answer.
In the rest of the course we will mostly do and try things. First it helps to have a picture: ChatGPT is simply a text assistant you talk to in writing. You type something, ChatGPT replies. You can keep it that simple. Later we will look at how to ask better questions and how to use it step by step in your own life.
Worth a pause
ChatGPT does not have one fixed “best” answer on a shelf. You can get the same topic shorter, friendlier, or simpler, if you ask for it that way. In Module 2 you will try that yourself.
Save for later: lines you can copy (in Module 2)
You do not need to type them now. Take it easy: jot them on a note by your PC or bookmark this page.
Quick win (optional now, free ChatGPT)
Want to feel that you control tone and length? Open ChatGPT and try one of these short exercises (only if you feel like it).
Free vs paid: the core of this course works with a free account. Higher limits, more reasoning, or business settings are optional (paid), we only mention them if you choose to use them.
Questions for lesson 1.1
1. What is the best way to think of ChatGPT?
2. What does ChatGPT do when you ask a question?
Lesson 1.2 – AI without abracadabra
Goal: basic sense of what AI is.
In this lesson we zoom out a little: what is “artificial intelligence”, often shortened to AI? We keep this simple too. You can see AI as a way computers do things that used to be only for people: for example spotting patterns, predicting something, or generating sentences.
An example you may know: when your phone suggests a word while you are typing, it uses a form of AI. It looks at earlier words and guesses what you probably want to type. ChatGPT does something similar, but much smarter and on a larger scale.
AI is not magic. There is no “ghost in the machine”. It is mathematics and statistics, built by programmers. The model behind ChatGPT learned by looking at many examples. That is how it can “sense” language without truly understanding the way a human does.
In daily life you already meet AI a lot: in your phone, in recommended videos, in navigation picking the fastest route, or in systems banks use to try to spot fraud. Often you do not even notice AI is there.
For this course you do not need to know how that works behind the screens. The one thing worth remembering is: AI helps the computer respond in a more human-like way. And you are allowed to use that without being technical yourself. You only need to learn how to use it sensibly.
Questions for lesson 1.2
3. What is a good example of artificial intelligence (AI) in everyday life?
4. What do we mean when we say AI is “not magic”?
Lesson 1.3 – What ChatGPT is and is not
Goal: clear up misunderstandings and reduce fear.
In this lesson we correct a few myths. Many people feel a bit afraid of AI because they are not sure what it is. So let us make it clear.
ChatGPT is not a person. It has no consciousness, no emotions, and no will of its own. It does not “think” about you. It only follows patterns in language. That also means it can be wrong. It can make something up that sounds logical but is not true. So your common sense always matters.
ChatGPT is not an all-knowing oracle either. It knows a lot, but not everything. It has no live access to your bank, your email, or your private files unless you paste text from them into the chat yourself. Even then you can always choose not to share certain things. You decide what you type in.
See ChatGPT mainly as a smart text machine that helps you but does not make decisions for you. You stay in charge. You choose what to do with the answers, what to keep, and what to dismiss. Think of it as a well-informed assistant that thinks along but does not take over your responsibility.
Understanding what ChatGPT cannot do helps you use it more calmly. If you know it sometimes makes a mistake, you worry less when something is off once. Then you can simply think: “Okay, I will ask differently, or I will double-check this with a reliable source.”
Questions for lesson 1.3
5. What can ChatGPT not do?
6. When can ChatGPT have information about your private life?
Lesson 1.4 – Ten situations from everyday life
Goal: see concrete, relatable examples.
Now that you roughly know what ChatGPT is, we look at examples. Often the penny really drops when you see how you could use it in your own life.
Think of a tricky email you need to send. You could say: “Write a short, friendly email to my neighbour asking him to park his car a bit further away.” Or a letter to school: “Write a neat letter to the head teacher about my child’s absence.”
At home you might ask ChatGPT: “Make a grocery list for 3 simple, healthy dinners for two people.” Or: “Suggest a week of easy recipes that do not take much time.” The program gives you ideas you might not have thought of yourself.
You can even use ChatGPT for difficult topics. For example: “Explain in simple language what a streaming subscription roughly involves.” Or: “Explain what inflation is as if I were 14.” Examples like that show ChatGPT is not a far-off gadget but something that can help you day to day.
While you read, try to think: where could I use ChatGPT? Maybe with a tricky email, to understand a form better, to have a text proofread, or to get ideas for a hobby. The more concrete your example, the more you get out of ChatGPT.
Important topics: ChatGPT is not an authority
For official matters (bank, tax, work, legal documents) and for personal health, the same idea applies: ChatGPT can help with wording, structure, and plain-language explanation, but it does not replace a professional and it does not know your situation. You stay responsible for what you do with the answer. Module 5 is where we deliberately practise health questions, with clear limits.
Extra relatable scenarios (for when you practise)
Adapt everything to your situation. Pasting is fine (Module 2), or rewrite in your own words.
Questions for lesson 1.4
7. Which question best fits using ChatGPT in daily life?
8. What is a sensible expectation of ChatGPT?
Lesson 1.5 – Mini exercise: think of your very first question
Goal: lower the barrier, stay active.
To finish this module we prepare you for your first real question to ChatGPT. You do not need to type anything yet, we do that in Module 2. For now you only decide what you want to ask.
Grab pen and paper if you like (or a blank document). Think of something going on in your life right now. It could be practical, like an email or a plan. Or informational, like a topic you do not quite get. Write down one question you would like to ask ChatGPT just like that.
If that feels daunting, you can pick from example questions such as:
- “Explain what solar panels do, in simple language.”
- “Write a friendly text to reschedule an appointment.”
- “Suggest three healthy but simple dinners.”
- “Summarise this piece of text in 5 short bullet points” (paste a news article or note after it if you want; in module 2 we explain copy and paste step by step).
- “Give 3 ideas for an outing with grandchildren when it rains.”
- “Write a short reply to an invitation: I cannot come, but thanks for thinking of me.”
Write down the question you chose. In the next module we will actually ask it in ChatGPT together. Well done, you are mentally ready for your first step!
Questions for lesson 1.5
9. What is the point of this mini exercise?
10. Which question fits this exercise well?