Hey again, it’s Louis. Something a bit different this time, but we’ll be back to the usual briefings next week.

AI is moving fast, but knowing where to start is strangely difficult. Most guides online either assume you already understand the jargon and know how to code, or throw you straight into advanced tools without explaining what any of it means.

So I’ve put together a simple beginner-friendly list for the AI-curious: seven places to learn about AI, try it for yourself, and keep up with what’s changing — without the need to read a 90-page research paper. Enjoy!

Start here, if you haven’t already. Pick one, and ask it to explain things, help with emails, brainstorm ideas, build a simple page, or teach you something step by step. If you’d like to, you can always pay the subscription fee to unlock better models — you’ll be surprised at what more you can achieve with them.

A practical, engaging video on how to make the most of AI in daily life. If you’re only going to watch one “how do I actually use this?” guide, start here.

Once you’ve tried using AI, you might be asking yourself what it actually is. This is useful if you want a simple overview of terms like “machine learning” and “generative AI” that everyone seems to be talking about.

A huge library of AI demos, built by researchers, companies, and hobbyists. Some are technical, but lots are simple: generate a voice, restore a photo, or try on clothes virtually. Hours of fun.

A massive directory of AI tools organised by task (some free, some paid). If you’ve ever wondered “is there an AI that can do this?”, this is the place to check.

AI is moving so quickly that one model keeps overtaking the next. So here’s a simple way to compare the major models by quality, speed and cost. You don’t need to understand every benchmark; it’s handy just to see which models are leading right now, and how quickly things change.

If you want even more AI news than I cover in the weekly briefings, Matt Wolfe is a great next step. Each week, he keeps you at the cutting edge with an engaging half-hour roundup of the latest models, tools, and stories.