Your AI toolkit.

The skill that makes every AI tool work for you — plus an honest guide to which free AI to use, and how to use it safely. No sign-up, nothing to buy. Bookmark this page.

The skill · learn it once, use it forever

How to talk to AI.

Good answers come from good asks. GCIIP is the simple way to ask AI for anything — five lines, and the result jumps from generic to genuinely useful.

GoalWhat do you actually want out of this?e.g. A reply that calms an upset customer and keeps them with us.
ContextWhat does the AI need to know about your situation?e.g. Long-time customer. Their order arrived 5 days late. I want to keep them.
IntentWhy does it matter — the tone and the deeper aim?e.g. Sincere and human, not corporate. I'd rather lose a little money than lose them.
InstructionsThe specific do's, don'ts, and limits.e.g. Apologise first. Offer 15% off the next order. Under 100 words. Don't be defensive.
PresentationWhat shape should the answer take?e.g. A ready-to-send email. Short paragraphs. Warm sign-off.

Lazy ask

“write a reply to an angry customer”

→ generic, corporate, needs a rewrite.

Same task, with GCIIP

Goal: a reply that calms an upset customer and keeps them.

Context: long-time customer, their order arrived 5 days late, I value keeping them.

Intent: sincere and human, not corporate — I'd rather lose a little money than lose them.

Instructions: apologise first, offer 15% off the next order, keep it under 100 words, don't be defensive.

Presentation: a ready-to-send email, short paragraphs, warm sign-off.

Here's their message:
"""
[paste the customer's email]
"""

→ ready to send, sounds like you.

Your reusable GCIIP template

Goal: [what you want out of this]

Context: [the situation — what's going on, who's involved]

Intent: [why it matters + the tone you want]

Instructions: [the do's, don'ts, and any limits — length, style]

Presentation: [the format you want back]

Here's what to work with:
"""
[paste your details / the message / the notes]
"""

Copy it, keep it in your notes, fill the five lines for any task. That's the whole skill.

Cheat sheet

Which free AI for which job.

General writing, replies, Q&AChatGPT (free)The all-rounder. Best first stop for most everyday tasks.

Long documents, careful writingClaude (free)Handles long text well and writes in a natural, careful tone.

Inside Gmail / Google DocsGeminiBuilt into Google tools — handy for quick help where you already work.

Research with real sourcesPerplexity (free)Answers with links you can check — good when facts matter.

On your phone, hands-freeChatGPT / Gemini app voiceTalk to it like a colleague while you commute.

Use AI safely at work

Never paste these into AI.

Customers' personal details — IC numbers, full addresses, phone numbers, anything private about them.
Company secrets — unreleased financials, contracts under NDA, internal strategy you've been told to keep quiet.
Passwords, API keys, or anything that unlocks access.
Other people's medical, legal, or HR records.

How to stay safe and still get the benefit:

Anonymise first — swap real names for 'the customer' or 'Person A' before pasting.
Paste the structure, not the secret — e.g. the email wording, not the private numbers inside it.
Check your company's AI policy if you're employed — when unsure, ask before pasting work data.
Treat AI drafts as a starting point — you always read and approve before it goes out.

Two more, free.

The prompt library →Hundreds of copy-ready prompts for everyday work. Search, copy, done.Prompt for you →Tell us the job — we'll write a custom prompt for you. A few free each month.