Your First AI Conversation

This is your chance to see what AI can do—and what this course is about—without spending money or making a commitment.

What you need: A phone or computer with internet. That's it. No account required for this module.

This course is for college students (undergraduate or graduate) who have heard about ChatGPT or other AI tools and want to learn how to use AI without losing your ability to think critically.

You'll get the most value if you:

• Are curious about AI, but want clear boundaries for academic integrity
• Want to build a personal TA file that adapts to different subjects
• Want a verifiable certificate that shows course completion and AI literacy practice
• Need help navigating unclear or nonexistent university AI policies
• Want to stay ahead of the curve as AI transforms your field

This course may not be for you if: you want AI to complete assignments for you; you want coding instruction only; you want passive video; or you believe fundamentals no longer matter.

What Just Happened?

Imagine this:

You're facing a 15-page research paper on climate policy. The literature is overwhelming. Your professor hasn't clarified the AI policy. You open ChatGPT and type: “Write me a literature review on climate policy for my Political Science seminar.”

In 30 seconds, you have coherent paragraphs with citations. You copy, paste, submit.

Did you just cheat? Or did you just use a tool?

The answer depends on what you do NEXT.

If you submit it as your analysis—that's academic dishonesty.

If you read it, identify gaps, search the actual sources, write your own synthesis—that's scholarship.

The difference isn't the tool. It's what you do with it.

AI can generate text quickly. The goal of this course is to help you use AI as an intellectual partner (to question, reflect, and check ideas), not as a shortcut.

In college, the stakes are higher than high school. The work is more complex. The expectations for original thought are greater. But so are the opportunities to use AI well—to organize research, test arguments, clarify concepts, and strengthen your own thinking.

Your TA file (for example my_ai_ta.md) is a simple Markdown document you build while going through the course.

Each module adds a new layer:

• Module 1: your Never List (boundaries)
• Module 2: your Socratic prompts + subject framing system
• Module 3: your explanation of how AI works (college-level)
• Module 4: your bias + ethics checks + policy navigation
• Module 5: your subject modularity system (Lit hat, STEM hat, Research hat)
• Module 6: your final integration + usage log system

Labs are for practice. You'll copy your best answers into your TA file so you can use them across all your courses.

Your First AI Conversation

Step 1: Get Access (2 minutes)

You need a free account with an AI tool. Pick one:

Option A: ChatGPT — chat.openai.com → Sign up → university email is fine.

Option B: Claude — claude.ai → Sign up → email or Google + phone verification.

Option C: Perplexity — perplexity.ai — good for research; cites sources.

Which one? ChatGPT is most common. Claude tends to be more nuanced. Perplexity shows sources. Try all three if you're curious.

Step 2: Start Talking (5 minutes)

Don't overthink it. Have a 3–4 message back-and-forth. Try prompts like:

Step 3: Test Its Limits (3 minutes)

Push. Try to get it to do something it shouldn't:

Most AI tools have guardrails. They (usually) won't help with overt cheating or academic dishonesty. But those guardrails are imperfect—and they don't teach you the nuanced judgment you need for college-level AI ethics.

That's what this course is about.

If you have questions, email us at: exactrushllc@gmail.com

At launch, support is text-only (no voice/video).

You've just had your first real AI conversation. Maybe it was impressive. Maybe it was concerning. Maybe both.

Here's what you know now that you didn't 15 minutes ago:

• AI is accessible (you just used it)
• AI has limits (it wouldn't help you cheat)
• AI requires judgment (you have to decide when and how to use it)
• Your university probably hasn't figured out policy yet (this is the wild west)

The full course teaches you: when AI helps your learning vs. when it undermines your education; how to build a TA that adapts to different subjects; how to navigate unclear or nonexistent AI policies; how to spot when AI is wrong, biased, or environmentally costly; and how to use AI without losing your intellectual voice.