Orientation & Mindset

Build the right mental model for working with AI

FundamentalsMindsetGetting Started

What You'll Learn

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How to think about AI as a junior assistant rather than magic
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Why embracing a 'lab mindset' leads to better results
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The importance of iteration and learning from mistakes
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Setting realistic expectations for AI capabilities

Key Ideas

AI as Your Junior Assistant

Think of AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude as smart interns: capable, eager, but needing clear direction and oversight. They excel at first drafts, brainstorming, and tedious tasks, but need your judgment for final decisions.

Examples:

• Great for: Summarizing articles, generating ideas, writing first drafts
• Needs supervision: Important decisions, sensitive information, creative direction

Adopt a Lab Mindset

Treat every AI interaction as an experiment. No prompt is perfect the first time. Be curious, iterate, and learn what works through practice rather than seeking perfection upfront.

Examples:

• Try different phrasings of the same request
• Ask AI to critique its own output and improve it
• Save successful prompts for reuse

You Don't Need to Be Perfect

AI is forgiving. Messy prompts often work fine. Focus on being clear about what you want rather than crafting the 'perfect' prompt. Start simple and add details if needed.

Suggested Resources

Anthropic's Prompt Engineering Interactive Tutorial

Anthropic

Course

View Resource

AI Fluency: A Practical Approach

Anthropic

Article

View Resource

Try This Now

Put your learning into practice with these hands-on exercises. Copy the prompts and try them in your favorite AI tool.

Exercise 1: Your AI Coach

Ask an AI tool to act as your learning coach for this journey. See how it responds to being given a role.

5 minutes

You are my AI learning coach. I'm just starting to learn about AI tools. What are 3 things I should keep in mind as I begin this journey? Keep your response encouraging and practical.

Exercise 2: Set Your Expectations

Have a conversation with AI about what it can and can't do. This builds your mental model.

5 minutes

I'm new to AI. Can you explain 3 things you're really good at and 3 things I shouldn't rely on you for? Be honest.

Exercise 3: Experiment with Iteration

Try asking for something, then ask the AI to improve its own answer. See how iteration works.

10 minutes

Write a short paragraph about why learning AI is valuable. [After receiving response] Now critique that paragraph and rewrite it to be more specific and compelling.

Reflection Questions

Take a moment to reflect on what you've learned

1.What surprised you most about how AI responded to your prompts?
2.How might treating AI as a 'junior assistant' change how you use it?
3.What's one area of your work or life where AI experimentation could be valuable?

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