Getting the Most from AI: Practical AI for Everyday Use

Getting the Most from AI: Practical Skills for Everyday Use

(NZ Citizens and residents pay $29 with ID, all others pays $120).

AI tools are everywhere, but knowing which one to use — and how to use it well — makes all the difference. In this hands-on workshop, Jon Bell will guide you through practical techniques to make AI a genuinely useful partner in your work and life. Whether you've tried it a few times or use it regularly, you'll leave with real skills you can apply straight away, with no technical background needed.

We'll start with a quick tour of the main tools — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot — so you understand what makes each one different. (They're less different than you might think!) Then we'll spend most of the day going deep on Claude, which Jon considers the easiest to use, while also being the most powerful.

We'll cover real examples, answer your questions as they come up, and spend plenty of time experimenting together.

By the end of the workshop, you'll be able to:

- Write effective prompts that get clearer, more useful responses
- Use AI for research, brainstorming, writing, and creative work
- Understand the differences between the major tools and when to use each
- Recognise the tools' limitations (and how to work around them)
- Apply practical strategies for using AI in your personal or professional projects
- Confidently troubleshoot when AI gives unexpected or unhelpful answers

Please bring: A phone or laptop with ChatGPT and Claude installed and signed in to both. Enough battery to last the day.

A condition of enrolment is that you must provide photo ID when you attend.

Note:  Courses need a minimum number to go ahead so if we don't have enough enrolments a few days before the start date, we have to cancel. We'll let you know by email so please check yours regularly. If you need to cancel your registration, here are our terms and conditions: "What You Need to Know".

Please bring: A phone or laptop with ChatGPT and Claude installed and signed in to both. Enough battery to last the day.