AI skills for everyday people
Get better at AI, one skill at a time.
Learn to write better prompts, get better answers, and use AI with confidence.
No jargon. No overwhelm. Just one useful skill at a time.
The Prompt Lab
Turn a vague idea into a useful prompt.
Watch the same request get clearer at every step — this is the first skill you’ll practise.
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Start with an idea
“Help me write an email to my landlord.”
A fine start — but the AI has to guess what you actually need.
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Add useful context
- What: the dripping kitchen tap
- History: reported two weeks ago
- Tone: polite but firm
- Length: under 120 words
“Write a polite but firm email to my landlord about the dripping kitchen tap I first reported two weeks ago. Ask for a repair date. Keep it under 120 words.”
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Get a clearer result
Subject: Kitchen tap repair — follow-up
Dear Mr Okafor,
I’m following up on the dripping kitchen tap I first reported two weeks ago. The drip has become worse, and I’d appreciate having it repaired this week. Could you let me know which day a plumber can come by?
Thank you for your help,
Alex — Flat 4BSpecific, polite, ready to send — because the prompt said exactly what mattered.
Practise this step by step in AI Prompting Basics in the Academy.
Why it works
A useful prompt tells the AI three things.
Not magic words — just the information a helpful colleague would need.
“You’re helping the owner of a small neighbourhood bakery. Write three short Instagram captions for our new sourdough loaf, each under 20 words, with one emoji and no hashtags.”
- Context
- Who is asking, and what’s the situation? The skill Add context before the task teaches this in minutes.
- Desired outcome
- What should the AI actually produce? Covered by skills like Give AI a role.
- Useful format
- Length, structure, style. The skill Ask for a specific format makes answers instantly usable.
All three are real skills in the Skills Library.
Start where you are
There’s a right first step for every beginner.
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“I’ve never really used AI.”
Begin with Start Here: AI First Steps — the Academy path for starting to use AI without feeling lost. Short lessons, no assumed knowledge.
Open AI First Steps -
“I’ve tried it, but the answers are hit and miss.”
AI Prompting Basics shows you why answers vary and how to steer them — starting with skills like Ask AI to clarify before answering.
Open AI Prompting Basics -
“I’m ready to use AI for real tasks.”
Go straight to work-ready paths — AI for Work Productivity, AI for Writing Better, AI for Research & Learning — or pick individual skills from the library.
Browse all Academy paths
The Skills Library
A growing library — and you only ever need the next skill.
Browse by what you’re trying to do. Each skill is one focused page: what it’s for, the prompt pattern, and an example — learnable in minutes.
- Prompting
- Writing
- Productivity
- Decision Support
- Data Analytics
- Customer Service
- Marketing
- Image Generation
- Learning
Give AI a role
Tell the AI who it should be — “act as a careful editor” — and its answers sharpen immediately.
“Act as a [role]. Help me [task], and point out anything I’ve missed.”
One page · a few minutes
One real skill from the library, simplified for preview.
My Skills
Collect skills as you go. Skip the giant course.
With a free account you can save any skill to My Skills, mark lessons complete, and continue your path whenever you come back. Your toolkit grows one useful skill at a time.
- Give AI a role
- Add context before the task
- Ask for a specific format
- Compare options in a table
One useful skill can change what AI does for you.
Start small today. Keep what works. Come back for the next one.