Start with a question.
What are you trying to understand or do? A clear question gives an AI conversation a useful direction. You can ask for an example, a simpler explanation, or a different approach.
Keep your judgment.
A confident answer can still be wrong. Check important facts against reliable sources, and review anything you plan to use or share.
Take care with information.
Think before sharing personal, confidential, or sensitive details. Check the tool’s privacy settings and policies, and use only information you have permission to share.
A few useful distinctions
Understanding the words helps you ask better questions.
These are starting points, not the whole story. What a particular tool can do depends on how it is built, what it can access, and the permissions it has.
- Generative AI
- AI that can produce content — such as text, images, or audio — in response to a request. It can help you explore or draft an idea, but its output still needs your attention and review.
- An AI agent
- A system that uses AI to work through steps toward a goal, often with access to tools. For example, an agent might gather information and organize a draft. Its access, instructions, and boundaries matter.
- Responsible use
- Using a tool with care for the people and information involved. That includes checking results, limiting permissions, protecting sensitive information, and staying accountable for what you choose to do.