The World of AI: A Practical Guide
Artificial intelligence for your work, your engineering and your computer
The important questions, each with its own article
Plain explanations, examples from engineering work, and what to set up for each use. Pick a question:
How to do it with AI: free, paid, and with which tools
For every task: the efficient free and paid routes, the best-suited programs (not only Claude), and for each one the add-ons, connectors and settings that make it better.
The map: six kinds of AI
Most tools you will meet fall into one of these categories.
Chat assistants
Ask, write, summarise and analyse files in plain language.
Images and design
Create an image, logo or visual from a text description, and edit existing images.
Video
Short clips from text or an image, and automatic editing.
Voice and audio
Meeting transcripts, narration, spoken translation and synthetic voices.
Code
Writing code, fixing bugs and automation, even if you are not a programmer.
Agents
AI that carries out a whole multi-step task: opens files, browses, fills tables and reports back.
The leading tools and what each is good at
Filter by type. The list is updated, and prices and plans change often, so check the official site.
The most widely used assistant: writing, file analysis, images and voice chat in one place.
ChatLong texts, documents and code, and working directly on files on your computer through Cowork.
ChatBuilt into Gmail, Google Docs and Android, with up-to-date search and image generation.
ChatBuilt into Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
ChatAvailable inside WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.
ChatAn assistant from a European company, some of whose models are open.
ChatAnswers with links to sources, good for quick fact-checking.
SearchHigh-quality artistic images from a text description.
ImageShort realistic clips from text, including sound.
VideoVideo generation and editing for studios and marketing.
VideoVideo from text and images, popular for its motion quality.
VideoCode completion and suggestions inside your code editor.
CodeA code editor built around AI that works across a whole project.
CodeA coding agent in the terminal: writes, runs tests and fixes across a whole project.
CodeNatural narration, dubbing and spoken translation in many languages.
VoiceRun open models such as Llama, Qwen and Mistral on your own computer, offline.
LocalHow to choose a tool
You don't need them all. Start from the task, not the tool.
Writing, summarising and analysing documents
Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. Try two on the same task and pick one.
You live in Office or Google all day
Copilot for Microsoft 365, Gemini for Google Workspace.
You need current facts with sources
Perplexity, or search mode in any assistant, and open the links.
Sensitive data that must not leave the office
A local model with Ollama or LM Studio, or a business plan with a privacy commitment.
Claude in depth
The tool that built this page. Three ways to work and the building blocks worth knowing.
The full guide: the forest of Claude
| Where | Good for | Example request |
|---|---|---|
| Chatclaude.ai and the phone app | Questions, drafts, explanations and analysing uploaded files | Explain the difference between a chemical and a mechanical anchor |
| CoworkThe desktop app | Multi-step tasks on your files: reports, spreadsheets, organising folders | Go through the 40 CSV files in the folder and prepare a PDF summary |
| Claude CodeTerminal and IDE | Software development: writing code, tests and bug fixes | Add unit tests to the calculation script and run them |
Skill
SkillA folder of instructions that teaches Claude to do a type of task a fixed way, such as a report in your office format.
Plugin
PluginA one-click package of skills, commands and connectors for one field.
Connector
Connector · MCPA secure link to an app such as Gmail, Google Drive or Figma, so Claude can read and write there.
Artifact
ArtifactA page, calculator, dashboard or deck that Claude builds and publishes as a link.
Projects
Projects · MemoryContext kept between chats: documents, standards, writing style.
Design
DesignPages, decks and diagrams, including Figma and Canva through connectors.
Start in five steps
Works with any AI assistant, not just one.
- Pick one assistant and open a free account.
- Start with a small, real task from work, not a trivia question.
- Give context: who it is for, what format, which standard, and attach files.
- Ask to see assumptions, formulas and sources, and check them.
- A task that repeats? Save the prompt, or turn it into a skill.
Prompts that work
Copy, change the details, and paste into any AI assistant.
Check the moment calculation in the attached file. List every assumption, flag every step you are unsure of, and don't fill in missing data: ask about it.
From the attached spreadsheet, build a one-page PDF report: a summary table, one chart and three conclusions.
Write a Python script that reads the code_aster results file and exports the maximum displacements to Excel, with comments.
My computer has been slow since the last update. Give me an orderly check, from the safest step to the most advanced, without deleting anything.
AI in engineering work
Where it saves hours, and where it is dangerous.
Reports and letters
A first draft of an inspection report, a specification or a client letter, in your format.
Spreadsheets and data
Cleaning tables, Excel formulas, comparing bills of quantities, charts.
Scripts and automation
Python for FEM, CAD and post-processing, even without a coding background.
Standards and background
Explaining a clause in a standard or a calculation method, then checking against the source.
Where to stop and check
AI can be wrong with full confidence; this is called a "hallucination". Any calculation that ends up on a drawing or a site is checked in dedicated engineering software: ADIT's STRUCTSOFT and AAS for structures and anchoring, or the free finite-element programs on this site, such as code_aster and CalculiX. The signature stays the engineer's.
Computers and AI
The questions that come up when AI arrives on your work computer.
What computer do I need?
Most AI tools run in the cloud, so a normal computer and an up-to-date browser are enough. A powerful machine matters for FEM and CAD.
What is an "AI PC"?
A computer with an NPU chip that runs some AI features locally and saves battery. Nice to have, not required.
Local AI
An open model running on your machine keeps data on your computer, but needs a strong graphics card and lots of memory, and results are usually weaker.
Privacy and security
Never upload passwords or account numbers. Client data follows company policy. Check the settings for whether chats are used for training.
Troubleshooting help
Screenshot the error message and paste it into the assistant. Ask for steps from safest to most advanced, and never run a command you don't understand.
Free tools
All the major assistants have a free plan with usage limits. Start there, and upgrade only when you hit a wall.
Glossary
The words that come up in every AI article.
- LLM
- Large language model. The engine behind ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
- Prompt
- The instruction or question you write to the AI.
- Token
- A small unit of text, roughly part of a word. Length and price are measured in tokens.
- Context window
- How much text the model can "hold" at once in a conversation.
- Hallucination
- An answer that sounds confident but is wrong or invented.
- Multimodal
- A model that understands images, audio or video, not just text.
- Agent
- AI that carries out a multi-step task and uses tools by itself.
- MCP
- An open standard for connecting AI to apps and data sources.
- RAG
- A method where the AI first searches your documents and only then answers.
- Open model
- A model you can download and run yourself, such as Llama or Mistral.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is the best?
There is no single answer. The leading tools are very close and trade places every few months. Choose by task, by the apps you already use and by language.
Does AI understand Hebrew?
Yes. The major assistants read and write Hebrew well. For technical terms it is worth checking, and sometimes asking for the English term too.
Can I trust AI calculations?
As a starting point yes, as a final result no. Ask to see every assumption and check in engineering software or by hand.
Is my data used for training?
It depends on the tool, the plan and the settings. Business plans usually don't. Check the privacy settings in your account.
Will AI replace engineers?
It replaces tasks, not responsibility. Those who use it save time on writing, data and code, and still sign the result.
Guides on the way
- ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini: a comparison for engineers
- What a skill is and how to build one
- Running AI on your computer with Ollama
- Checking a calculation with AI without getting burnt
- AI and Excel: formulas, cleaning and charts
- Images and visuals with AI
Missing a topic?
Tell us which AI guide you would like to read, and we'll write it.
Updated: October 2026