Worked examples from the Ask & Answer™ lessons
The same five steps, in the AI tool on your screen.
Each example below follows a real lesson from the Ask & Answer™ guides taught by Andee™. The buttons differ from tool to tool. The steps do not.
See a living guide page: the HuggingChat guide as an Open Adaptive Editions page, kept in step with the screen it teaches.
ChatGPT Worked example
Spot a scam before it spots you
Goal: Ask ChatGPT to help you look for warning signs in a strange email, text or phone message.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- If a message makes you feel rushed, scared or excited, stop. That feeling is the scammer’s tool.
- Do not click any links, call any numbers in the message, or reply.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- Copy only the words of the message into ChatGPT, or describe it. Remove your name, account numbers and any codes first.
- Ask: “Does this message have signs of a scam? Please explain the warning signs in simple words.”
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- Read the warning signs: urgency, gift cards or wire transfers, strange sender addresses, spelling mistakes, requests for codes or passwords.
- ChatGPT may be wrong in either direction. Contact the company yourself, using the phone number on your card, bill or the official website.
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- Never share a one-time code, password or bank detail with anyone who contacts you first.
- If a “grandchild” calls in trouble, hang up and call them on the number you already know.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- Ask: “What are the safest next steps for me?” and “Who can I report this to?” Then check that advice on an official site.
Try this now in ChatGPT: type it, or say it out loud
“URGENT: Your bank account is locked. Click here and enter your PIN within 1 hour. Does this message have signs of a scam? Please explain the warning signs in simple words.”
ChatGPT Worked example
Talk out loud instead of typing
Goal: Have a spoken conversation with ChatGPT when typing is hard or your hands are busy in the kitchen.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- Find a quiet spot. A TV or other people talking can confuse it.
- Think of what you want to talk about.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- On a phone or tablet, select the Voice icon in the message bar. On a computer, go to chatgpt.com and select the Voice icon.
- If asked, allow ChatGPT to use your microphone, then start speaking.
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- A written copy (transcript) is added to the chat. OpenAI says it may not match exactly what was said, so read it over.
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- Do not say private details out loud, like account numbers. Never use the phone while driving.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- If it talks too fast, say “Please speak more slowly.” If it answers too soon, say “Wait until I ask you to respond.”
Try this now in ChatGPT: type it, or say it out loud
“Help me plan a simple lunch with what I have: eggs, spinach and bread.”
Google Gemini Worked example
Get ready for a doctor visit
Goal: Use Gemini to make a short list of questions to bring to your doctor.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- Think about what is on your mind. Jot a few words on paper first.
- Consider using a Temporary chat for health topics.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- Type: “I have a doctor visit next week about my knee pain. Please help me write 5 simple questions to ask my doctor. Use plain words.”
- Follow up: “Add a question about side effects of a new medicine.”
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- Cross out anything that does not fit you. Gemini does not know your health history.
- Treat any health facts as ideas to ask your doctor about.
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- You do not need to type your name, birth date, insurance number or medical record number.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- Ask: “Please put these in order from most to least important and make them fit on one page.” Then print it or copy it by hand.
Try this now in Google Gemini: type it, or say it out loud
“I have a doctor visit next week about my knee pain. Please help me write 5 simple questions to ask my doctor. Use plain words.”
Source: Google Gemini Help: do not rely on responses for professional advice
Microsoft Copilot Worked example
Share a photo, keep your privacy
Goal: Add a photo or file to your chat and ask about it.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- Look closely at the photo. Does it show names, addresses, bank numbers, medical record numbers, or faces of people who did not agree?
- If it does, cover or crop that part first, or choose a different item.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- In the message box, press the Open icon, which looks like a +, then select Add images or files.
- Pick your photo, then type what you want, such as “What kind of flower is this?” and send.
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- Compare the answer with the real item. Did it read the words correctly?
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- Never upload photos of your credit card, bank card, Social Security card, Medicare card or passport.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- Ask follow-up questions about the same file in the same chat: “What does the second paragraph mean?”
Try this now in Microsoft Copilot: type it, or say it out loud
“What plant is this, and how often should I water it?”
HuggingChat Worked example
Ask two open models and compare
Goal: Pick a specific open model, give it simple instructions, and compare its answer with another model.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- Ask yourself what you need: help with a photo, a different language, or friendly, simple answers. If unsure, stay with Omni.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- Select Models, then use Search models by name. Look for labels such as multimodal (it can look at pictures).
- Select a model, then New Chat. You can ask it to “Please use simple words, short sentences and short lists.”
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- Ask the same question to two models and compare. Do they agree?
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- Do not put private details in your standing instructions. Keep them about style, not about you.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- If a model is not helpful, go back to Models and try another, or return to Omni.
Try this now in HuggingChat: type it, or say it out loud
“Please use simple words, short sentences and short lists. I am new to computers. What is the difference between a text message and an email?”
Source: HuggingChat (its screen notes generated content may be inaccurate or false) · Open the AI SafeStep™: HuggingChat guidebook
Ollama Worked example
Turn a hard letter into plain words, on your own computer
Goal: Understand a bill, notice or insurance letter with an open model that runs on your own computer.
Step 1 · Pause
Think before you type. What do I want? Is any of this private?
- Describe the letter in your own words instead of pasting it.
- Remember that Ollama does not carry your earlier messages forward by itself, so do not assume it remembers.
Step 2 · Ask
Write your question in plain words.
- Type: “I will describe a letter I received. Please explain what it is asking me to do, in five short steps, and list anything I should not ignore.”
Step 3 · Check
Look over the answer. Is it right? Where did it come from?
- A model on your own computer has no company filter behind it. It can still be confidently wrong, and it usually does not know about recent events.
- Confirm deadlines and amounts with the office that sent the letter, using the number printed on your own papers.
Step 4 · Protect
Keep your private details safe. Watch for scams.
- Leave out your name, account number and address. Your typing stays on your machine, and the habit stays the same.
Step 5 · Improve
Review, refine and re-ask.
- Ask for fewer steps, bigger print, or a version you can read aloud.
Try this now in Ollama: type it, or say it out loud
“I will describe a letter I received. Please explain what it is asking me to do, in five short steps, and list anything I should not ignore.”
Source: Ollama documentation · Open the AI SafeStep™: Ollama guidebook
Ready to practise on your own?
Pick the step you want to practise, or print the SafeStep card and keep it next to your screen.