Your first ten minutes with an AI assistant
Never used one? Here’s how to pick a free AI assistant, check four settings and try three useful first chats, plus what to keep to yourself.
In 30 seconds
- Pick one free assistant, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot, and check its minimum age.
- Before you chat, check four settings: training, chat history, memory and temporary chats.
- Keep passwords, bank details and other people’s private details out, and check anything important.
You don’t need to be technical, buy anything or read a manual. Ten minutes is enough to set up an Jargon busterAI assistant: A chat app such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini that answers questions and does tasks you describe in plain language., make it a little more private and find out what it’s good at. Here’s a plan for your first session.
Minutes 1 to 3: pick one and sign up
Choose one free assistant: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. For everyday questions they’re more alike than different, so don’t agonise: you can try the others later. Use the company’s own website, or get its app from an official app store, then sign up with your email address or an account you already have.
Check the minimum age in its terms first. Claude, for example, is for over-18s only, while Copilot’s minimum is 13, or older in some countries.
Minutes 4 to 6: check four settings
Open Settings, usually behind your name or picture. Every app arranges things differently, so look for sections called something like Privacy or Data controls. These four are worth a look first.
- TrainingChoose whether your chats can be used to train and improve the company’s AI. Many assistants let you switch this off.
- Chat historyYour chats are saved so you can go back to them. Delete any you’d rather not keep.
- MemorySome assistants remember details about you between chats. See what yours has saved, and edit it or turn it off.
- Temporary chatA temporary or incognito chat usually isn’t saved to your history or used for training, though the company may keep it briefly.
Minutes 7 to 10: three good first chats
Skip the test questions and start with something real from your week. What you type is called a Jargon busterPrompt: What you type or say to an AI to tell it what you want.. These three show what assistants do well: copy one, fill in the square brackets and see what comes back.
Explain [something you’ve always wondered about, such as how a heat pump works] in plain English, as if I’m new to it. Use one everyday comparison and keep it under 200 words. Then ask whether I’d like more detail.
Here’s a message I need to send: [paste your draft]. Rewrite it to sound [friendlier / firmer / shorter], keeping all the facts the same. Give me two versions to choose from.
You: Make this friendlier: “Meeting moved to Thursday. Be there at 9.”
AI: Hi all, a quick update: we’ve moved the meeting to Thursday at 9am. Hope that still works for everyone. See you then!
Help me plan [a weekend in York / a birthday tea for eight / a week of easy dinners]. What matters: [budget, dates, who’s coming, any must-haves]. Ask me up to three questions first if you need more detail.
Two habits worth starting today
- New topic, new chatEach chat takes in everything said in it so far. Start a fresh one for a fresh subject, so old details don’t muddle the answer.
- Check anything importantAI can sound sure and still be wrong. For health, money or legal questions, check an official source, such as the NHS website, or ask a professional.
That’s your ten minutes. Next, learn the four-part recipe in how to write a good prompt, or try five things to use AI for this week.
Check yourself
3 quick questions nothing is savedTools in this guide
- CChatGPTOpenAI’s general-purpose assistant for writing, questions, analysis and images.
- CClaudeAnthropic’s assistant, strong at long documents, careful writing and code.
- GGeminiGoogle’s assistant, built into Gmail, Docs and Android.
- MMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft’s assistant across Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365 apps.
Sources (5)
- Consumer Terms of ServiceAnthropic, October 2025
- Copilot Terms of UseMicrosoft, August 2026
- Updates to Consumer Terms and Privacy PolicyAnthropic, August 2025
- Use incognito chatsAnthropic
- Use Claude’s chat search and memory to build on previous contextAnthropic
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