Getting started with AI

Getting started with generative AI

Generative AI

Generatieve AI is a special type of AI that can create new content. It does not only recognise things, but can also produce something new, such as a text, an image, a piece of music, a video or a computer code.

Most of these tools work in a similar way. You give the AI a command, also called a prompt and the tool creates what you ask for. In another tool, you might ask it to write a text or help you find information. In another one, you might ask it to create an image, a video or a piece of music.

Many generative AI tools have both a free version and a paid version. For creating videos, you usually need a paid version. Some tools can be used trough a website, and many also have an app that you can download on your smartphone.

Generative AI that creates text is also called a Large Language Model, or LLM. This is the type of AI we often use the most, both at work and in our free time.

Claude is an AI tool that is especially good at writing and improving texts. It can help you draft, rewrite, summarise or structure information.

The number of people using Claude is growing quickly. Anthropic, the company behind Claude, says that it places strong importance on the safe and responsible use of AI.

ChatGPT is the best-known AI tool. It works well for asking questions, writing text and getting clear explanations. It can also create good images.

On the JOBWIJS website, we often use ChatGPT because many people are already familiar with it. You can also use it in almost any language you want, including the microphone and speaker.

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant. It can be useful if you already use many Google services, such as Gmail, Google Drive or Google Docs.

Gemini is good at looking up information, summarising texts and helping you write or improve content. It can also create images.

The best large language model

Which tool is the best?

Which AI tool is best for you depends on what you find important and which other programs you already use.

ChatGPT became widely known in 2022, when in launched a version that could answer questions and write texts very well. Since then, many other AI tools have become available. Large technology companies are constantly improving their tools, so the difference between them can change over time.

It can be useful to try more than one AI tool. Free versions often have limits, such as a maximum number of prompts per day. If you use a second tool, you can continue working when you reach that limit. Using more than one tool allows you to compare the results. Sometimes one tool gives a better answer, and sometimes another tool is more useful.

Getting started with prompts

How do I get the best results and write a good prompt?

Prompting means giving instructions to an AI tool, such as ChatGPT or Claude.

A prompt is what you type or say to the AI. It can be a question, a command or a description. The AI reads or hears your prompt and then gives an answer.

Using AI often works in a simple way, you type or say something in the prompt bar, send it, and the AI responds.

Examples of simples prompts:

“How do I make mayonnaise?”

“What is a PDF?”

“Write a poem.”

You can also write longer prompts with more details.

For example, you can ask the AI to write a poem in the style of Shakespeare, with no more than five verses. Then the AI has clear instructions to follow.

You can also simply write: “Write a poem.” In that case, the AI will choose the topic, style and lenght itself.

The more details you give, the more control you have over the answer.

When you use ChatGPT or another AI tool, it’s important to protect you personal data.

Do not enter private information, such as your full name, address, phone number, national register number, bank details or medical information. This applies to your own information, but also information about othe people.

It is also a good idea to check the privacy settings of the AI tool. In some tools, you can turn of the option that allows your conversations to be used to improve or train the system.

This means that your conversations will not be used to help train the AI. That gives you more control over the information you share.

Stay alert with AI

Beware, AI makes mistakes

We call this hallucination: AI gives an answer that sounds true, but the information is made up.

For example, you ask: “What time does the train from Brussels-North to Ghent leave around 8 a.m.? The AI answers confidently: “The train leaves at 8:14.”

But when you check the official timetable, there is no train at 8:14. The AI has simply given a time that sounds possible.

AI doesn’t know that the answer is wrong. It can give an answer even when it does not have the correct information. That is why it’s important to check practical information, such as train times, addresses, prices or opening hours with an official source.

And now it is up to you to practice prompts!

Prompting may take some getting used to at first, but it becomes easier with practice. 

You can use ChatGPT in any language you want. You can also upload a photo or a text as an attachment. This means you don’t always have to type everything yourself.

Here are a number of websites where you can find interesting information about AI and how to use it.

Build your AI skills with free Microsoft Learns courses

Microsoft Learn offer free, modular learning content on AI and generative AI. The beginner’s module, ‘Introduction to AI concepts’, takes around forty minutes to complete and covers applications of AI and the responsible use of AI. There are also more in-depth learning series on generative AI, prompt engineering and AI applications.

Amai! Vlaanderen

Discover how AI makes your life easier or take a test to see how ‘artificially intelligent’ your supermarket visit is. Amai! Vlaanderen is a project of the Flemish government that allows ordinary people to contribute their thoughts on artificial intelligence. They organise workshops and activities to make AI understandable for everyone.

Sidenote: the website is available in English, but the workshops, activities, etc are not automatically in English. Most likely a knowledge of Dutch will be required.