Applied AI Lessons

Experiment 1 of 6

Conduct an AI reality check

Compare an assistant’s explanation with a source you trust, then teach the idea back in your own words.

Choose a concept you know from a course or your work. Record your own explanation first.
Ask an assistant to explain it to a beginner and name uncertainty. Save the initial response.
Identify three checkable claims. Verify each against a textbook, official source, or scholarly article.
Ask a follow-up that addresses the biggest omission. Compare the two versions.
Explain the concept without the assistant, and note what you learned—not just what it generated.

Starting prompt

Explain [concept] to a first-year student in [field]. Use a concrete example, distinguish established knowledge from uncertainty, and identify three claims I should verify. Do not invent citations. Ask one question to test my understanding.

Reflect

What did the assistant make easier, and what would have gone wrong without your review?

Don’t include private student, research, or workplace information. No paid tool needed: Use a publicly shared sample AI answer supplied by an instructor and verify it in the same way. No account or paid service is required.

Finish this experiment

Write a short reflection: what you made, what you changed, and what you learned. At least 80 characters.

Tools to try: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini

Conduct an AI reality check

Starting prompt

Reflect

Finish this experiment