Maya has two kids and a busy kitchen table. Last night her son asked a homework helper app a question, and it answered in seconds.
Ben teaches fourth grade. A colleague keeps saying an AI tool can plan a whole week of lessons.
Rosa runs a small flower shop. She has heard that AI can write her product descriptions and answer reviews.
All three are asking the same question. What is this thing, and can I trust it?
This course is for adults with no tech background. It runs for eight weeks, with about 15 minutes a day.
You will learn what AI tools are and where they go wrong. You will learn what never to type into one, and how to check what they give you.
Each Thursday has a short section for parents, one for teachers and one for small-business owners. Read your own, and skim the others if you like.
By week 8 you will have a one-page AI plan for your home, classroom or business.
The US National Institute of Standards and Technology, called NIST, publishes a framework for managing AI risk.
It describes an AI system as a machine-based system that, given goals, produces outputs such as predictions, recommendations or decisions.
Think of everyday tools that take a goal and give something back. A spam filter, a route app and a chatbot all work this way.
The common thread is this. You give the system a goal, and it gives back a prediction, a suggestion or a decision.
| Everyday tool | Its goal | What it gives back |
|---|---|---|
| Spam filter | Keep junk out of your inbox | A decision: spam or not spam |
| Map app | Get you there fast | A recommendation: this route |
| Streaming service | Keep you watching | A recommendation: watch this next |
| Chatbot | Answer your request | A prediction: the words most likely to fit |
A US Department of Education report notes that after late 2022, the public began exploring AI chatbots.
People used them to write essays, create lesson plans, produce images and create personalized assignments for students.
So whether you are a parent, a teacher or a business owner, you have probably already met these tools, or soon will.
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| An AI system is given a goal. | ? |
| Every AI system writes text. | ? |
| A recommendation leaves the final choice to you. | ? |
| After late 2022, people began trying chatbots for lesson plans and essays. | ? |
Sources: NIST AI 100-1, AI Risk Management Framework (2023) · US Department of Education, AI and the Future of Teaching and Learning (2023)
Tomorrow: how these tools learn, and why patterns are not the same as understanding.