“AI is changing everything—from how we write and learn to how we build websites, summarize meetings, create art, and solve everyday problems. But for many people, AI still feels like a magic trick they don’t quite trust.”

You’ve probably heard of tools like ChatGPT. Maybe you’ve tried one. But when it comes to actually using AI to do something useful, things can get confusing fast—and sometimes risky.

That’s where this site comes in.

What AI Really Is (In Plain English)

At its core, AI—especially the kind we interact with most today—is built on machine learning. This means a computer model is trained on vast amounts of data (text, images, code, etc.) so it can recognize patterns and make predictions.

When you use a tool like ChatGPT, you’re interacting with a Large Language Model (LLM). These models don’t “understand” language the way humans do. Instead, they predict what’s most likely to come next based on patterns they’ve seen before.

For example, if a model sees the letter Q, it knows the next letter is probably U—not because it understands English, but because that pattern appears so often in real text. Now extend that logic to entire words, sentences, even paragraphs—that’s how it generates responses.

It’s impressive, but it’s not magic. It’s statistics at scale.

AI Is Brilliant—But It’s Not Perfect

There’s no doubt AI can be incredibly helpful. But it’s not yet at the point where you can type a vague prompt and expect flawless results every time.

In fact, a recent BBC News article highlighted how some companies now exist just to clean up the damage after AI-generated code broke someone’s website or created a legal or security risk.

Used wisely, AI can save time, improve quality, and boost creativity. Used blindly, it can waste time or even cause real problems.

This site is here to help you use AI well.

Why AI Costs Money

While some AI tools offer free access, most are not truly “free.” That’s because:

• These tools are expensive to build and run.
• They rely on enormous datasets, powerful servers, and constant updates.
• The companies behind them are commercial businesses that need to earn a return.

You’ll often encounter AI in two main ways:

• Directly (like paying for ChatGPT Plus)
• Indirectly, when you use an app (like a meeting summarizer or writing tool) that uses an LLM behind the scenes via an API

Here’s the important bit:

API access is a paid service. Every time you interact with an AI-powered app, that app is sending your request to an LLM and being charged for it. That cost adds up quickly—so to stay afloat, these apps have to charge their users too.

That’s why:

• Most tools have paid plans
• Many offer free tiers, which let you try out the tool with basic features or usage limits
• For some light users or early experimentation, the free tier might be enough
• But for frequent use or more powerful features, you’ll likely need to upgrade

Throughout this site, we’ll highlight when tools are free, freemium, or fully paid—so you know what to expect.

What You’ll Find on This Site

Action With AI is a practical guide to using AI in the real world.

It’s a growing collection of:

• ✅ Step-by-step guides to real-world AI tasks
• 🧠 Explanations of how and why things work
• 🧾 Copy-and-paste prompts that actually get results
• 📸 Screenshots, examples, and real use cases
• 📺 Links to useful YouTube videos where relevant

The goal is not to hype AI or make unrealistic promises. Instead, it’s to help real people do real work more efficiently and creatively—without getting lost or overwhelmed.

Whether you’re a small business owner, freelancer, student, creator, or just curious, you’ll find something here to help you.

⚠️ A Note of Caution

Everything on this site is based on my personal experience using AI tools in day-to-day work. I’m not an AI engineer or a legal expert—just someone who’s spent a lot of time figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

This site is intended to educate and inspire, but:

• Use your own judgment when applying anything from these pages
• Always test and review AI-generated outputs carefully
• I can’t accept liability for decisions you make based on what you read here

Think of this site as a guide, not a guarantee.

Join the Conversation

Tried something that worked really well? Hit a wall with a certain tool? Have a better way of prompting?

I’d love to hear from you.
Every guide includes a comment section where you can share your results, suggest improvements, or ask questions.

AI is evolving fast—and we’re all figuring it out as we go. Let’s help each other do it better.