AI jargon, in plain English.

Computer software that can do tasks we'd normally think need a person, like writing, summarising or answering questions. In this course, "AI" means chat tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Claude.

AI that creates something new, such as text, images, audio or video, based on what you ask for.

For you: This is the kind of AI you use to draft emails, posts and descriptions.

An AI tool you talk to by typing (or speaking) in a conversation. You ask, it answers, and you can reply to steer it.

What you type into an AI tool: your question, instructions and any details it needs.

For you: Better prompts get better answers. That's what lesson 3 is about.

Jack's four-part prompt checklist: Context, Action, Warnings, Result. It makes sure you've told the AI who you are, what you want, what to avoid and what the finished thing should look like.

The background the AI needs to do a good job: your business, customers, location and goal. Without it, AI fills the gaps with guesses.

When AI states something that isn't true, like a made-up fact, statistic, review or quote, often very confidently.

For you: The reason you always check facts, prices and claims before publishing.

Whatever the AI gives you back: an answer, a draft, a list or a file.

Replying in the same chat to improve an answer, like "make it shorter". Each round is an iteration.

The "brain" behind an AI tool. Companies release new models over time, and one tool can offer several, some faster and some more capable.

For you: If an answer is weak, a different model in the same tool may do better.

The type of model behind AI chat tools. It has learned patterns from huge amounts of text and predicts useful words in response to your prompt.

The text, images and other material a model learned from before it was released.

The date a model's training data stops. It may not know about anything after that unless it can search the web.

For you: Check anything recent, like new rules or prices, yourself.

Four popular AI assistants, made by OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic. All have free versions and all work with the CAWR method.

A setting in many AI tools where you save details it should always remember, like your business introduction or tone of voice.

For you: Saves pasting the same context into every chat.

Names different tools use for saved workspaces or mini-assistants with their own instructions and files. Handy for a recurring job, like writing your social posts.

Packaged instructions (and sometimes files or scripts) that an AI tool can load when a task needs them, so it follows the same method every time. Support and set-up differ between tools.

For you: Part of our planned paid course. Not needed for this one.

A feature that lets an AI tool look things up online. Not every tool or plan has it, and it can still misread pages.

For you: If a tool can't open a link, paste the page text instead.

An AI tool that can work with more than text, such as reading images or PDFs, or listening and speaking.

Creating pictures from a text description. Results vary a lot between tools, and you should check you're allowed to use them commercially.

An AI that can carry out a series of steps for you, like researching, filling in forms or editing files, rather than just answering one message.

For you: Powerful, but always check what it did before relying on it.

OpenAI's AI coding agent. It writes, fixes and explains computer code for developers, working through tasks in a project.

For you: Useful if you or your developer build websites. You don't need it for everyday marketing writing.

Anthropic's AI coding agent, similar to Codex: it works on code and files for you, usually from a computer's command line or an editor.

Microsoft's AI assistant, built into Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365 apps like Word and Outlook. (GitHub Copilot is a separate coding helper.)

A chat mode in some tools that isn't saved to your history or used for training.

For you: Good for anything you'd rather not keep.

A setting that stops a tool using your chats to improve its models. Usually under Settings, then Data or Privacy.

For you: Worth checking on a free account.

A plain text file with simple symbols for formatting: # for a heading, - for a bullet, **bold** for bold. It opens in any text editor, and AI tools read and write it easily.

For you: Our downloads come as .md so you can reuse them anywhere.

The simplest text file, with no formatting at all. Opens on any device.

A spreadsheet saved as plain text, with commas between the columns. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.

For you: Handy when you ask AI for a table you want in a spreadsheet.

A fixed-layout document that looks the same everywhere. Many AI tools can read PDFs you upload.

The code that web pages are built from. AI can write simple HTML, but check it with whoever runs your website before using it.

Adding a file, like a price list or photo, to your chat so the AI can read it. Don't upload anything private.

The small chunks of text an AI reads and writes, roughly three-quarters of a word each. Limits and pricing are often counted in tokens.

How much text an AI can keep in mind at once in a chat. Very long chats can push early details out.

For you: If it "forgets" your details, paste your business introduction again or start a fresh chat.

A way for software to talk to an AI model directly, without the chat screen. Used by developers to build AI into apps and websites.

An open standard that lets AI tools connect safely to other apps and data, like a calendar or a shared drive.

Setting up tasks to run by themselves, like sending a follow-up email when a form is filled in. AI can be one step in an automation.

For you: Covered in our planned "Connected marketing systems" course.

Further training a model on specific examples so it behaves in a particular way. Rarely needed by small businesses: good prompts and saved instructions usually do the job.

When an AI looks things up in a set of documents, such as your FAQs, before answering, so its answers are based on your information.