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Beginner · Module 01

Your First Message

After this, you will have sent a message to an AI, read the response, and know that nothing broke.

Intro

You do not need to know anything about AI to do this. You do not need to be good at technology. You are going to type one sentence, press send, and read what comes back. That is the whole exercise.

The exercise

This takes under three minutes. Two steps. The first is required. The second is optional.

Step 1: Send one message

Copy this message exactly as written:

What is the capital of France?

Paste it into the text area on your platform. Press send.

The AI will respond with something about Paris. It may include extra information. It may be a single sentence. It may be a paragraph. Any of those are fine.

That is your first message sent. The AI answered. It did not ask why you wanted to know. It did not judge the question. Nothing broke.

Step 2: Now make it yours (optional)

Here is a second message you can try:

What are three things I could cook for dinner tonight using chicken and rice?

Before you send this one, change it to match what you actually have. Replace "chicken and rice" with whatever ingredients are in your kitchen right now.

This is a pattern you will use throughout the course: start with a message someone else wrote, then change the parts that should be yours. The next module (B-02) walks through this step by step. For now, just swap those two ingredients and send it.

If your response looks different from what you expected

That is normal. Every conversation with an AI is slightly different, even when you send the same message twice. The wording, the length, and the level of detail will vary. If the response was clearly about the right topic, it worked. If it seemed completely unrelated to what you asked, start a new conversation and try sending the same message again. Starting a new conversation is instant and free — the AI has no memory of previous conversations, so there is nothing to lose.

If it asks you to upgrade

Free accounts have a message limit. If you see a prompt asking you to subscribe or upgrade, you have not done anything wrong — you have used your free allowance. It resets, usually within a few hours. Come back and continue then, or try a different platform in the meantime.

  • Claude.ai — a usage note appears when you are near the limit. The limit resets daily.
  • ChatGPT — a rolling message limit applies on the free plan. An upgrade prompt appears when it is reached.
  • Gemini — free accounts may switch to a lighter model when daily limits are reached. This is automatic and usually does not affect everyday tasks.

Where to type

If you already know where to type on your platform, skip ahead. This section is here when you need it.

Find your platform below. Read only the one you are using.

Claude.ai (web)

Go to claude.ai and sign in. You will see a large text area in the centre of the screen with placeholder text like "How can I help you today?" That is where you type your message. Type or paste your message there. Press Enter on your keyboard, or click the arrow button to the right of the text area, to send it. The response will appear below your message. To start a fresh conversation later, click New chat in the top-left corner.

Claude.ai (desktop app)

Open the Claude app. The layout is the same as the web version: a text area in the centre of the window. Type or paste your message there. Press Enter or click the arrow button to send. The response appears below. To start fresh, click New chat in the top-left corner or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+N (Mac) or Ctrl+N (Windows).

ChatGPT

Go to chatgpt.com and sign in. You will see a text area at the bottom of the screen that says something like "Message ChatGPT." Type or paste your message there. Press Enter or click the send button (an upward arrow) to send it. The response will appear above your message. To start a new conversation, click New chat in the sidebar on the left.

Gemini

Go to gemini.google.com and sign in with your Google account. You will see a text area at the bottom of the screen. Type or paste your message there. Press Enter or click the send button to send it. The response will appear above your message. To start a new conversation, click New chat in the sidebar on the left.

Tines

Platform orientation for Tines will be added once updated UI details are confirmed. If you are using Tines, check with your workspace administrator for how to access the AI chat feature.

Claude Code

Claude Code is a command-line tool for developers. If you are using Claude Code, you should be following the Advanced track (A-series modules, starting at A-00). The exercises in this beginner module are designed for the web and desktop platforms listed above. Head to A-00: Getting Started with Claude Code for your path.

A note on data

Before you paste work documents or other sensitive content into any AI tool, check the platform's data policy. On some free plans, the AI company may use your conversations to improve the product — paid plans typically do not. If you are using a tool provided by your employer, ask your IT team what applies. For this exercise, you are typing one test sentence, so there is nothing sensitive at stake. But it is a good habit to know the policy before you share anything that matters.

Next

Now that you have sent a message and read a response, the next step is learning how to take any starting message and make it fit your own situation. That is B-02: Copy, Personalise, Use.