PlainAI museum of AI
About

A reading path

I'm just starting to learn about AI.

If you've heard about ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Copilot but you've never quite understood what's underneath — start here. Seven topics, in the order they make sense in. No prior tech knowledge assumed.

7 stops · 210-630s reading per stop
  1. Large language model A large language model (LLM) is the engine behind ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Plain-English explanation of what it is and what it can and can't do.
  2. Prompt A prompt is what you type to an AI. Why a small change in wording can change the answer a lot — plain-English explanation.
  3. Training data Training data is the books, websites, and conversations an AI learnt from. Plain-English explanation of what's in it and why it matters.
  4. Hallucination Hallucination — when an AI says something untrue with full confidence, as if it were a fact. 30-second gist with optional depth.
  5. Cross-checking AI A 30-second routine for any AI answer that actually matters. Plain-English, practical.
  6. AI agents An AI that doesn't just answer — it goes off and does things. What that changes.
  7. "AGI" The phrase you keep hearing on the news. What it actually means, in plain English.

Other reading paths