AI Guide

Basic Guide to Using AI: Beginner to Expert in 30 Days

Master AI from scratch. Complete guide covering prompting, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, automation, and advanced techniques that professionals use daily.

Ajay Sharma

Founder of MATEXAi

October 28, 2024

Updated: January 22, 2025

22 min read

What You'll Master:

✅ Understand AI fundamentals and what it can actually do
✅ Write expert-level prompts that get 10x better results
✅ Use AI for work, study, creativity, and automation
✅ Choose the right AI tool for each task
✅ Advanced techniques from AI engineers and power users
✅ Avoid common mistakes that waste time and money

Understanding AI: What It Really Is

Before diving into usage, let's understand what you're working with. No technical jargon—just the truth.

AI in Plain English:

Imagine a super-smart assistant that has read every book, website, and document ever written (through 2023-2024). It can't browse the internet in real-time (unless specifically enabled), but it knows patterns, facts, and can reason through problems.

What AI CAN Do:

✅ Answer complex questions with context
✅ Write anything (code, essays, poems, emails)
✅ Analyze and summarize long documents
✅ Generate images from text descriptions
✅ Translate between 100+ languages
✅ Debug code and explain errors
✅ Create study materials and quizzes
✅ Brainstorm and ideate creatively

What AI CANNOT Do:

❌ Access real-time internet (without plugins)
❌ Know events after its training cutoff
❌ Execute code or take actions (unless integrated)
❌ Guarantee 100% factual accuracy (can hallucinate)
❌ Understand true emotion or consciousness
❌ Learn from your conversations (privacy-focused)

The Evolution of AI: Brief History

Understanding where AI came from helps you use it better:

2017-2019: The Foundation

Google's "Transformer" architecture revolutionized AI. Birth of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer). Still experimental, not public.

2020-2022: GPT-3 Era

OpenAI released GPT-3 API. Developers could access AI, but average users couldn't. DALL-E emerged for image generation. AI hype began.

Nov 2022: ChatGPT Explosion

ChatGPT launched publicly. Reached 1 million users in 5 days. The world realized AI was here. Every industry scrambled to adapt.

2023-2024: AI Arms Race

GPT-4, Claude 3, Gemini Ultra launched. Image generation went mainstream. Multimodal AI (text + images + voice). AI integrated into every product.

2025: AI Everywhere

Open-source AI rivals closed-source. Real-time AI assistants. AI agents that can browse, code, and execute tasks. The future is now.

Major AI Models Compared (2025 Edition)

Each AI has strengths. Choose the right tool for the job:

AI Model	Best For	Weaknesses	Price
ChatGPT (GPT-4)	General knowledge, coding, creative writing	Can be verbose, pricey API	$20/mo
Claude 3.5 (Anthropic)	Long documents, nuanced reasoning, safety	Slower, sometimes too cautious	$20/mo
Gemini Ultra (Google)	Research, multimodal tasks, Google integration	Less creative than GPT-4	$20/mo
MATEXAi	Students, budget users, all-in-one platform	Smaller model, fewer features than GPT-4	Free/$6/mo
Llama 3 (Meta)	Open-source, privacy, self-hosting	Requires technical setup	Free

💡 Pro Tip: Use Multiple AIs

Don't commit to one. Use GPT-4 for coding, Claude for analysis, Gemini for research. Each has unique strengths. I use 3-4 AIs daily depending on the task.

The 4 Golden Rules of Prompting (Deep Dive)

These principles separate beginners from experts. Master them and you'll get 10x better results:

Rule 1: Be Hyper-Specific

Vague requests = vague answers. Include exact details about what you need.

❌ Bad Prompt:

"Write a marketing email"

✅ Good Prompt:

"Write a 150-word marketing email for a SaaS product launch targeting B2B software engineers. Tone: professional but friendly. Include: product benefits, special launch discount, call-to-action. Subject line max 50 characters."

Specificity Checklist:

✓ Length/word count specified
✓ Tone/style defined (casual, formal, technical)
✓ Target audience mentioned
✓ Format specified (bullet points, paragraph, code)
✓ Constraints listed (avoid jargon, use simple words)

Rule 2: Provide Rich Context

AI doesn't know your situation. The more context you provide, the better the response.

Context Framework (5 W's):

WHO: Who am I? (student, developer, marketer)
WHAT: What am I trying to achieve?
WHY: Why does this matter? (deadline, goal)
WHERE: Where will this be used? (presentation, website)
WHEN: When is the deadline? Any time constraints?

Example with Full Context:

"I'm a college student preparing for a 10-minute presentation on climate change for my Environmental Science class. My audience is 25 classmates (ages 18-22, mixed knowledge levels). I need to explain the greenhouse effect in simple terms they'll remember. Create an outline with: opening hook, 3 main points, real-world examples, and a strong conclusion. Avoid scientific jargon."

Rule 3: Show Examples (Few-Shot Learning)

One example is worth 1,000 words of explanation. Show AI exactly what you want.

Template:

"Here are 2 examples of the style I want:

Example 1: [your example]

Example 2: [your example]

Now create 5 more in the same style for: [your topic]"

Use Cases:

• Writing in a specific brand voice
• Generating data in a specific format
• Creating content matching existing examples
• Teaching AI your unique style

Rule 4: Iterate & Refine

First response is rarely perfect. Have a conversation, refine iteratively.

Iterative Prompting Flow:

1. Initial prompt: "Write an email about X"
2. Review response: Too formal
3. Refine: "Make it more casual, like talking to a friend"
4. Review again: Better, but too long
5. Final tweak: "Cut it to 100 words, keep main points"
6. Perfect!

Refinement Phrases:

• "Make it more [adjective]"
• "Expand section 2 with more details"
• "Remove the technical jargon"
• "Add 3 real-world examples"
• "Try a different approach"

Advanced Prompting Techniques (Expert Level)

Used by AI engineers, researchers, and power users:

1. Chain-of-Thought (CoT) Prompting

Ask AI to show its reasoning step-by-step. Dramatically improves accuracy for complex problems.

Example:

"Solve this problem step by step, showing your reasoning at each stage:

Problem: A store has 24 apples. They sell 1/3 of them in the morning and 1/4 of the remaining in the afternoon. How many apples are left?

Think through each step before giving the final answer."

✅ Result: AI breaks down the problem, making errors easier to spot and answers more accurate

2. Role Prompting

Tell AI to act as a specific expert. Changes tone, depth, and perspective.

Technical Expert:

"Act as a senior software architect with 15 years experience. Review this system design for scalability issues..."

Casual Educator:

"Act as a friendly tutor explaining to a 10-year-old. Describe how the internet works..."

Business Consultant:

"Act as a McKinsey consultant. Analyze this business model and identify weaknesses..."

Creative Writer:

"Act as Ernest Hemingway. Rewrite this paragraph in your signature style..."

3. Constraint-Based Prompting

Force AI to be creative by adding limitations.

Creative Constraints:

• "Explain quantum physics using only words a 5-year-old knows"
• "Write a product description without using adjectives"
• "Create a story where every sentence starts with the next letter of the alphabet"
• "Summarize this 1000-word article in exactly 3 tweets (280 chars each)"

4. Socratic Method (Ask AI to Ask You)

Instead of giving answers, AI guides you to discover solutions through questions.

Example:

"I'm struggling to understand recursion in programming. Instead of explaining it, ask me questions that help me figure it out myself. Guide me through thinking."

✅ This deepens understanding better than direct explanations

5. Multi-Perspective Analysis

Ask AI to analyze from multiple angles for balanced insights.

Template:

"Analyze [topic] from 3 perspectives:

1. Optimistic view (benefits, opportunities)
2. Pessimistic view (risks, challenges)
3. Realistic view (balanced assessment)

Then provide your recommendation."

AI for Real-World Tasks (Complete Guide)

Practical applications you can use today:

For Students

📚 Study Smarter

• Convert lecture notes to flashcards
• Generate practice quiz questions
• Summarize textbook chapters
• Explain complex topics simply

✍️ Writing Help

• Outline essays and research papers
• Check grammar and improve clarity
• Generate thesis statements
• Find credible sources (then verify!)

🧪 Homework Assistant

• Step-by-step math problem solving
• Science concept explanations
• History timeline creation
• Language translation practice

🎯 Exam Prep

• Create study schedules
• Mock interview questions
• Essay topic brainstorming
• Memory techniques and mnemonics

For Professionals

📧 Communication

• Draft professional emails in seconds
• Write meeting agendas and summaries
• Create presentation outlines
• Respond to customer inquiries

📊 Data Analysis

• Analyze spreadsheet data
• Generate reports from raw data
• Create data visualizations
• Identify trends and patterns

💼 Business Strategy

• SWOT analysis generation
• Competitive research
• Marketing campaign ideas
• Business plan drafting

⚡ Productivity

• Automate repetitive writing tasks
• Generate templates and workflows
• Brainstorm solutions to problems
• Learn new skills quickly

For Developers & Creators

💻 Coding

• Write boilerplate code instantly
• Debug errors with explanations
• Refactor and optimize code
• Generate unit tests
• Learn new frameworks

🎨 Content Creation

• Generate blog post ideas
• Write social media captions
• Create video scripts
• Design newsletter content
• SEO keyword research

🎬 Media & Design

• Generate image concepts (DALL-E)
• Create color palettes
• Write image alt text for SEO
• Design system documentation

📝 Documentation

• API documentation generation
• README file creation
• User guide writing
• Code commenting

AI Automation Workflows (Save 10+ Hours/Week)

Connect AI to tools you already use:

Email Automation

Use Case: Auto-respond to common questions

1. Tool: Zapier + Gmail + OpenAI
2. Trigger: New email arrives with specific label
3. Action: AI reads email, drafts professional response
4. Result: You review and send (or auto-send)

⏱️ Saves: 5 hours/week on email

Content Repurposing

Use Case: Turn one blog post into 10 pieces of content

1. Write one long-form blog post (2000 words)
2. Ask AI: "Turn this into 10 Twitter threads"
3. Ask AI: "Create 5 LinkedIn posts from this"
4. Ask AI: "Generate 3 email newsletter variants"
5. Ask AI: "Make a YouTube video script"
6. Ask AI: "Create Instagram carousel captions"

⏱️ Saves: 8 hours/week on content creation

Meeting Notes to Action Items

Use Case: Automatically extract tasks from meetings

1. Tool: Otter.ai (transcribe) + AI
2. Process: Meeting → Transcript → AI analysis
3. Output: Action items, decisions, next steps
4. Integration: Auto-add to project management tool

⏱️ Saves: 3 hours/week on meeting follow-ups

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

❌ Mistake 1: Accepting First Answer Without Verification

AI can hallucinate (make up facts). Always verify important information.

Fix: Cross-check facts with Google, ask AI for sources, use multiple AIs to compare answers.

❌ Mistake 2: Treating AI as Search Engine

AI doesn't browse the internet (unless enabled). It doesn't know events after its training cutoff.

Fix: For recent events, use Google. For analysis/understanding, use AI.

❌ Mistake 3: Copy-Pasting Without Understanding

Especially for code or technical content. You won't learn, and you can't fix issues.

Fix: Always ask AI to explain. Type code yourself. Make small changes to test understanding.

❌ Mistake 4: Using AI for Everything

AI is a tool, not a replacement for thinking. Over-reliance makes you dependent.

Fix: Use AI to augment skills, not replace them. Try solving first, then use AI to verify/improve.

❌ Mistake 5: Ignoring Privacy & Security

Don't paste sensitive data (passwords, private info, confidential docs) into AI.

Fix: Use anonymized examples. Self-host AI for sensitive work. Read privacy policies.

The Future of AI (Next 5 Years)

What's coming and how to prepare:

2025-2026: AI Agents Era

AI that can browse the web, write code, execute tasks autonomously.

• Personal AI assistants that handle email, scheduling, research
• AI coding agents that build entire features
• Business process automation at scale

2027-2028: Multimodal AI Dominance

Seamlessly handle text, images, video, audio, and code together.

• AI that watches videos and explains them
• Real-time translation of conversations
• Generate 3D models from descriptions

2029-2030: AGI Approaching?

AI that can truly reason and learn like humans.

• AI researchers discovering new scientific breakthroughs
• Personalized education at scale
• Major societal shifts in work and creativity

🚀 You're Now in the Top 10%

You know more about using AI than 90% of people. The difference between you and an AI expert? Practice.

Start your first conversation today. Experiment. Break things. Learn.

The AI revolution is happening now. You're ready to ride the wave. 🌊

About Ajay Sharma