Beginner · 5 lessons · about 35 min · free certificate
Choosing the right AI tool: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and others side by side
A tool-neutral guide to comparing AI assistants on your own tasks. You learn a fair test method, what to look for, how free and paid plans generally differ, and how to protect your privacy.
For: Anyone deciding which AI assistant to use, or whether to use more than one, without wanting to rely on hype or ads.
Start lesson 1When you finish
- You can design a fair side-by-side test using your own real tasks.
- You can judge answers on accuracy, usefulness, tone and honesty about limits.
- You can explain in general terms how free and paid tiers tend to differ and what to check before paying.
- You can review and adjust privacy and data settings in any AI tool.
- You can run the same prompt in two tools and pick a winner for each kind of task.
Lessons
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- The landscape: many tools, one big cautionabout 5 minWhen you finish, you can describe the main AI assistants in general terms and explain why rankings and ads are poor guides.
- Running a fair side-by-side testabout 5 minWhen you finish, you can run the same prompt in two or more tools and compare results fairly.
- Matching tools to tasksabout 5 minWhen you finish, you can look at results and decide which tool suits which kind of job, without leaning on reputation.
- Free versus paid plans, and privacy settingsabout 5 minWhen you finish, you can ask the right questions about plans and check privacy settings in any AI tool.
- Build your own toolkit and keep it freshabout 5 minWhen you finish, you can set up a simple personal tool plan and a habit for rechecking it.
Final exam and certificate
10 questions. Score 8 or more for a free certificate of completion you can share and add to LinkedIn. Unlimited tries.
Take the final examPrompts you can use today
Copy one, replace the [brackets] with your details, and paste it into the AI tool you use. Leave out anything private.
Design my tool test
I want to compare AI assistants for my work as [role or situation]. Suggest five realistic test tasks I can run in each tool, and a simple scoring sheet with columns for accuracy, usefulness, tone, and honesty about limits.
The same-prompt test
Task: [describe a real task]. Context: [relevant facts, using no private data]. Format: [what the answer should look like]. If anything is unclear, say what you assumed instead of guessing silently.
Ask a tool about its own limits
For the task below, tell me what you can do well, what you might get wrong, and what I should verify elsewhere. Task: [describe task]
Compare two answers
Below are two answers to the same question from two different tools. Compare them for accuracy, clarity, completeness and tone. Point out anything in either one that I should fact-check. Answer A: [paste] Answer B: [paste]
Privacy checklist builder
Make me a short checklist of questions to ask about any AI tool before I use it for [kind of work], covering what data is stored, who can see it, whether it is used to improve the product, and how to delete it. Remind me to check the product's current help pages.
Plan-fit check
Here is how I use AI in a typical week: [list tasks and how often]. Help me decide what to look for in a free plan versus a paid plan, without assuming prices. List questions I should check on the provider's current plan page.
Stress test with a trap
I will ask you a question that contains a mistake on purpose. Tell me if you notice the mistake before you answer. Question: [question with a deliberate false detail]
Ask the AI tutor
Ask anything about this course, in any language. The tutor is an AI: it can be wrong, and it never needs your personal details.
AI-drafted. Checked by an automated validator and a separate AI reviewer; a person has not read every lesson. Translations and tutor answers are AI-made. Found a mistake? Tell us. Tool facts last checked November 2026; features change, so check the product's own help pages. AI can be wrong. General information, not professional advice. Product names identify the tools taught; no affiliation or endorsement. Current University is not accredited; certificates of completion are not degrees, credit or licenses.