Where to find one
Many free chatbots are made by large technology companies. Some are already built into things you use, such as your phone, your email or a search engine. Well-known ones include ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini and Meta AI. We list them in alphabetical order and do not recommend one over another.
Get a chatbot only from its maker's own website, or from the official app store on your phone (the App Store on an iPhone or Google Play on an Android phone). Be wary of apps and ads that promise a "special" or paid AI you did not go looking for.
Signing up
Some chatbots let you try them without an account. Others ask for an email address. You do not need to give your real date of birth, address or phone number to ask a question.
If a chatbot asks you to pay, you can say no. The free versions are enough to learn with.
Your first conversation
Start with a question where a wrong answer would not matter. For example:
A good first question
Suggest three easy dinners I can make with eggs, tomatoes and bread.
Read the answer, then ask a follow-up, just as you would with a person: "Make the second one simpler" or "Which one is quickest?". You can stop at any time by closing the page.
Try this
- Open a chatbot from its official website or app store.
- Ask it for three dinner ideas using what is in your fridge.
- Ask one follow-up question to change the answer.
- Close it when you are done. Nothing happens unless you type.
Safety tip
Before you type anything, imagine it written on a postcard. If you would not want a stranger to read it, do not type it. See the lesson on privacy.