A video course for adults who are new to AI
Your teacher: Mike
Twenty short, slow video lessons show you exactly where to click and what to type, on your computer or your phone. No jargon. No rush. And you can't break anything.
You only need the free versions of ChatGPT and Claude. No subscription needed.
An illustration of Lesson 8: the same question, asked in ChatGPT and Claude.
Everyone seems to be talking about it. Your kids use it. Your grandkids use it. You hear “just ask ChatGPT” on the news, at the doctor's office, even at church.
And you think: Where do I even start?
Maybe you opened it once, stared at the empty box, and closed it. Maybe you've been afraid to touch anything in case you break something. Maybe you're tired of asking the grandkids to show you again.
“I don't even know what to type into the box.”
“What happens to my information if I use it?”
“How do I know it's telling me the truth?”
“Which one do I pick? And do I have to pay?”
“Every video online moves too fast.”
“I keep hearing about AI scams, and I don't want to be fooled.”
“I'm embarrassed to ask again.”
Those are sensible worries. They are not signs that you're “not a tech person.” They are signs that you're careful. That's a good thing to be.
Their top reasons were not seeing the point, worrying about privacy, and not knowing how to start.
Nobody ever taught you. That's the only thing missing. And it's easy to fix.
This is what the lessons are built to help you do:
A thank-you note, a birthday message, a toast, a note to the homeowners association. It will still sound like you.
Paste in the words from an insurance or utility letter and ask for it “in plain English.”
Ask for ideas that fit your budget, your energy and your questions.
Ask for a menu for friends when one has diabetes and one skips meat.
Ask your question out loud, the way you'd ask a friend across the kitchen table.
Know what the grandkids mean when they say “I'll just ask ChatGPT,” and try it yourself.
Know the simple rules that help you spot fake apps and “grandparent” scam calls.
If you've ever thought about writing a book, AI can help you gather and sort your memories. The words and the story stay yours.
You don't have to become an expert. You just have to get comfortable. Then it's yours to use however you like.
There are plenty of AI videos online. Most are made for people who already know the basics. This one starts earlier.
You see the real screen. You see the pointer move. You hear what to click and why. Every new word is explained the first time it appears. You can pause, rewind and watch any lesson again, as often as you like.
Most courses pick one app. Here you'll see the same question asked in both, so you can decide which one you like best, or use both. There is also a short look at Google's Gemini. Everything is filmed on the free versions.
Lesson 4 covers what you should never type into an AI chat, how to find the real apps (there are copycats), the privacy switches that keep your chats to yourself, and how to beat “grandparent” voice scams with a family secret word. The FBI recommends the secret word idea.
AI can sound sure and still be wrong. Lesson 11 gives you an easy routine for checking names, dates and numbers, and reminds you to ask your doctor, lawyer or bank about big decisions. You stay in charge.
And if you've ever wanted to write a book: Module 5 shows how to use AI to gather and organize your stories, and why your own voice matters most. (AI can help you sort your memories. It does not write your book for you, and this course never says otherwise.)
About 3 hours of video in all. Each lesson runs about 8 to 10 minutes, so you can do one with your morning coffee. Watch in order, or jump to what you need.
Every lesson ends with a “Try it now” exercise you can copy and paste. Every lesson has captions. Screens were recorded in fall 2026 and the apps change from time to time. If a button looks a little different on your screen, look for the same words.
If you're in the first group, you're in the right place.
Founder, Dictate
startdictate.com
Hi, I'm Mike Giannulis.
I'm the founder of Dictate. We're a company that helps people turn what they know, and the stories of their lives, into books. Most of that happens by talking.
Many of the people we work with are in their sixties, seventies and eighties. Over and over, I heard the same thing: “I'd like to try AI, but I don't know where to start, and I'm afraid of doing it wrong.”
So I made this course for them, and for you.
Here's how I teach. I go slowly. I show every click. I explain every new word the first time I say it. And I never make you feel silly for asking, because I'd rather you ask than guess.
Mike
One payment. No subscription. No renewal. Every edition includes all 20 video lessons for life.
You do not need a paid ChatGPT or Claude plan for any of this. The free versions are all you need.
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Everything on this page is ready to read now. The buttons to choose your edition will appear right here the moment the course opens. Please check back soon.
Already a Dictate author? The Complete edition is included in your author portal at no extra cost.
Everything you need to get started.
$27one time
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Most popular
Everything in Essentials, plus the practice and the ready-made tools.
$47one time
That's about $2.35 a lesson, with the workbook and tools included.
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Everything in Complete, plus an AI coach for 30 days.
$97one time
Silas is an AI, not a person. It answers questions about using the apps. It does not give medical, legal or financial advice.
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| What you get | Essentials | Complete | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 video lessons (lifetime) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Quick-Start Guide | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 20 starter prompt cards | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Practice Workbook | Not included | Yes | Yes |
| 100-prompt library | Not included | Yes | Yes |
| Book-writing templates | Not included | Yes | Yes |
| Project starter kits | Not included | Yes | Yes |
| Printable cheat sheets | Not included | Yes | Yes |
| 30 days of “Ask Silas” (AI coach) | Not included | Not included | Yes |
One-time payment. Lifetime access to the lessons. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Here's my promise. Buy any edition, watch the lessons, try the exercises. If you decide within 30 days that the course isn't for you, reply to your access email and tell us. We'll refund you. No forms. No hoops. No hard feelings.
You don't have to explain why. You don't have to prove you tried.
(Your access email arrives right after you buy.)
Choose my editionYes. This course was made for you. I start at the very beginning, with opening your web browser, and I show every click on the real screen, slowly. You can pause and rewind as often as you like. And you can't break anything by trying.
No. The free versions of both are all you need, and every lesson is filmed on the free versions. Lesson 3 explains what the paid plans cost and whether you would ever want one. (Plan details are as of fall 2026 and can change.)
It can be, when you know a few simple rules. That is why safety comes early, in Lesson 4. You'll learn what never to type in, how to find the real apps (copycats exist), what the privacy settings do, and how to beat voice-clone scam calls with a family secret word. You stay in control, and I never ask you to share anything private.
An email address and an internet connection. To sign up for Claude you'll also need a mobile phone that can receive a text message, because Claude sends you a code. ChatGPT usually doesn't need one. Lessons 5 and 6 walk you through both, one step at a time.
Yes. The lessons show both. Watching the videos is easier on a larger screen like a computer or tablet, and many people then use AI on their phone, often by talking to it. You can watch the lessons on any phone, tablet or computer with a web browser.
There are 20 lessons of about 8 to 10 minutes each, about 3 hours of video in all. Some people watch one a day. Some watch a whole module on a rainy afternoon. There is no deadline. You keep access to the lessons for life, so you can come back for a refresher any time.
No. Silas is an AI coach, not a person. For 30 days after you buy Premium, you can type any question about using ChatGPT or Claude (like “Where did my old chat go?” or “How do I make the letters bigger?”) and get a patient, plain-words answer, day or night. It answers questions about using the apps. It does not give medical, legal or financial advice, and it can make mistakes, which is why Lesson 11 teaches you to check answers.
No. AI Made Simple is a separate video course about using ChatGPT and Claude in everyday life. Module 5 is for people who want to write a book: it shows how to use AI to gather and organize your stories, and why your own voice matters. The course does not write your book for you, and a book that sounds like you still needs you.
Reply to your access email within 30 days and we'll refund you. No forms, no hoops, no hard feelings.
No. If you are a Dictate author, the Complete edition is already included in your author portal at no extra cost. Open it from there with one click.
A few weeks from now you could be asking ChatGPT or Claude for help with a letter, a bill you don't understand, or the next family trip, and feeling calm while you do it.
There's no deadline and no pressure. Start with one 8-minute lesson. Go at your own speed.
One-time payment · Lifetime access to the lessons · 30-day money-back guarantee
P.S. Not sure yet? If you buy and it isn't right for you, reply to your access email within 30 days and we'll refund you. You risk nothing by trying.
P.P.S. You only need the free versions of ChatGPT and Claude. There is nothing else to buy.
