You've learned what AI is, how machines learn, how your phone uses AI, and how chatbots work. Now it's time to roll up your sleeves and try it yourself.
This lesson guides you through four free experiments. You don't need any technical skills - just curiosity and a phone or computer.
What you'll try: Show AI a photo and watch it identify what's in it.
How to do it:
Try these challenges:
Google Lens processes over 12 billion visual searches every month. It can identify more than 15,000 plant species and recognise thousands of dog and cat breeds from a single photo.
When you tried Google Lens, did it get everything right? Where did it struggle? AI is excellent at identifying common objects but can stumble on unusual angles, poor lighting, or rare items. What does this tell you about how AI "sees" the world compared to how humans see it?
What you'll try: Have a conversation with an AI chatbot and see how it responds.
How to do it:
Try these prompts:
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Now test its limits:
Why might ChatGPT give a different answer when you ask the same question twice?
What you'll try: Describe a picture in words and watch AI create it from scratch.
How to do it:
Try these descriptions:
Things to notice:
AI image generators occasionally produce odd results - extra fingers, warped text, or strange perspectives. These quirks happen because the AI learned from millions of images but doesn't truly "understand" anatomy or physics. It's pattern matching, not comprehension.
What you'll try: Speak in one language and hear AI translate it into another - in real time.
How to do it:
Try these challenges:
What might happen when you translate an English idiom like 'break a leg' into another language using AI?
Now that you've completed your experiments, take a moment to reflect.
Think about your four experiments. Which AI tool impressed you the most? Which one made a mistake that surprised you? Did anything feel slightly unsettling or magical? Understanding your own reactions to AI is just as important as understanding the technology itself. Your instincts about what feels right and wrong will guide you as AI becomes more powerful.
Consider these questions:
After trying these AI experiments, what is the most important habit to develop?
You've completed Level 1: AI Seeds - the absolute beginner's guide to artificial intelligence. You now understand:
You're no longer a complete beginner. You're someone who understands the basics, has tried the tools, and can think critically about what AI can and cannot do.
Welcome to the world of AI. 🌱