A Pensioner's Guide to Free AI: Hints, Tips & Warnings

Artificial Intelligence (AI) might sound like science fiction, but for us, it is simply a very useful tool. Think of it like a library assistant that has read every book in the world but sometimes gets confused!

This guide will help you use free AI tools for chatting, creating images, and making videos on your computer, tablet, or phone.

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⚠ The Golden Rule: Trust but Verify

Before we start, a very serious warning. AI can be amazing, but it can also be wrong. It is known to "hallucinate," which means it can confidently state a fact that is completely untrue.

• Health & Medicine: Never use AI for medical diagnosis. It can miss vital symptoms. Always see a doctor.
  
• Finance & Law: Do not trust it with pension advice, legal documents, or banking.
  
• Politics & News: AI can be biased or outdated. Check the dates and sources.
  
• Scams: AI can write convincing emails. If something sounds too good to be true, it is.
  

Always double-check important facts with a trusted source (like a library book or official government website).

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Recommended Free Tools

Here are the best free tools you can use right now. Most have apps for your iPad, iPhone, or Android phone.

1. For Chatting, Writing & Planning
These are great for writing letters, summarizing articles, or asking questions.

• Google Gemini - gemini.google.com
  Very helpful and conversational. It connects well with other Google tools (like Maps or Flights) if you want it to.
  App available? Yes (Android App / Inside the Google App on iPhone).
  
  
• ChatGPT (OpenAI) - chatgpt.com
  The most famous one. Excellent for conversation and general advice.
  App available? Yes (iOS and Android).
  
  
• Microsoft Copilot - copilot.microsoft.com
  Connected to the internet, so it's useful for current events.
  App available? Yes (Microsoft Copilot app).
  
  
• Perplexity - perplexity.ai
  Best for searching for facts; it lists its sources so you can check them.
  App available? Yes.
  

2. For Images (Pictures)
You describe a picture, and it paints it for you in seconds.

• Google Gemini - gemini.google.com
  Yes, the free version can now draw pictures! Just ask it to "create an image of..."
  App available? Yes.
  
  
• Microsoft Designer (Image Creator) - bing.com/images/create
  Very easy to use. You get 15 "fast" credits a day for free.
  App available? Use the "Bing" or "Microsoft Designer" app.
  
  
• Adobe Firefly - firefly.adobe.com
  High quality and safe for family viewing.
  App available? Web only, but works on tablet browsers.
  

3. For Video
These are new and experimental. They create short (3-5 second) clips.

• Luma Dream Machine - lumalabs.ai/dream-machine
  Allows a few free videos per month. Very realistic.
  App available? Web browser mostly, but works on mobile chrome/safari.
  
  
• Canva - canva.com
  Has a "Magic Media" tool inside. Great for making greeting cards.
  App available? Yes, excellent app for tablets.
  

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Hints & Tips for Best Results

Talking to AI is called "Prompting." If you don't get what you want, don't give up! Rephrase and try again.

For Text (Chatting):

• Be Polite but Direct: You don't need to say please, but typing in natural sentences helps.
  
• Give it a Job: Start by saying "Act as a gardening expert..." or "Act as a travel agent..."
  
• Ask for specific tone: "Write a complaint letter to the council, but keep it polite and professional."
  
• Ask the AI for help: If you are stuck, type: "I want to find out about X, what is the best question to ask you?"
  

For Images & Video:

• Paint a picture with words: Don't just say "A cat." Say "A fluffy ginger cat sitting on a garden fence, sunny day, oil painting style."
  
• Style matters: Add words like "Realistic photo," "Cartoon," "Watercolor," or "Black and White."
  
• Video is tricky: Keep movement simple. "A dog running" might look odd, but "A dog sleeping by a fire" will look great.
  

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Other Wonderful Uses for Pensioners

• Clarify Jargon: Paste in a confusing letter from the bank and ask: "Explain this to me in simple English."
  
• Recipes: Type in the three ingredients left in your fridge and ask for a recipe.
  
• Identify Things: If you use Google Lens or the ChatGPT app, you can take a photo of a plant or an antique and ask what it is.
  
• Nostalgia: Ask it to generate an image of "A 1960s British high street with an Routemaster bus" to see what it comes up with!
  

Enjoy exploring!

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Good afternoon all.   Its been bright and sunny here,  but cooler.

One of my dogs has got a bit of a problem with her water works at the mo,  so is on meds which I have to extract from the bottle with a special syringe which fits the nozzle of the bottle.

The other day when I walked into the kitchen I saw her in her bed with bits that looked like shredded paper,  but on picking it all up I realised it was bits of rigid plastic - and then I saw what had happened!
I had washed the syringe and put it the worktop by the back door to dry,  but the wind had blown in the door and blew the syringe onto the floor,  whereupon Gertie had found it and nicked it. Luckily for her, this syringe doesn't use a needle with it.

I've got loads of syringes for measuring different things  e.g. Lif's meds, houseplant fertilisers, etc,   but none of them fit the special nozzle on Gertie's medicine.
So that is why I am waffling on about this,  because I have spent the whole morning trying to locate these special syringes,  even phoning the manufacturers,  and finally got three spares.

Gertie is a compulsive thief, and hoarder of stolen goods, always has been,  but we still love 'em to bits,  don't we.  

Perhaps a resolution this New Year? 
Perhaps cut out  fags and beer?   
Then when I'm slim and smell good
The way that I should
I might get a date with Piers.  


Flo partied on New Years Eve
She never wanted to leave
With Mistletoe in her thong
She went looking for John

Quote from: klondike on Yesterday at 05:38:42 PMhttps://chatgpt.com/ will do images - type in what you want. It produced the Frontage picture I just asked for a run down decrepit old fashioned pub front and it nailed it.

I found https://gemini.google.com/app to be faster and does videos too. Videos are very limited.

This one  produced some pictures outside the chatgpt produced frontage and produced the bar from a fairly detailed description.

I took out a sub which gives a load of cloud space too so I'm reorganising some of my disk usage and a bit more bite of the cherry for doing stuff. It can be very frustrating - That video above was a failure in that I wanted to stitch some together because it will only generate short ones but a) it didn't follow my instructions correctly and b) seems to be very keen on opening and shutting random car doors. With one the character walked through a door.

The main view of the jockey's was a snapshot from my first video which I liked so I tell it to use as the opener now. So far I haven't really had a usable opening scene  for the plot I want it to follow

It really wastes time I could be using errr wasting on something else.

It is pretty puritanical and refused point blank to produce the scene Vlad described. I tried it without the bloke naked but for a pinny and it obliged. The only way I could get the young ladies in the earlier ones was by requesting "dressed as if going to a vicars and tarts fancy dress party" It was ok producing a dominatrix but from the look of what it did produce it is hoping to discourage any trade.

Out bloody standing!

Fred's clothes were all tight at the seams
Better skip the custard creams 
Just lettuce and cress
And no Eton mess
Christmas pud just in his dreams

Perhaps a resolution this New Year?

I think Australia is very left wing these days.

Fred's clothes were all tight at the seams
Better skip the custard creams 
Just lettuce and cress
And no Eton mess

Quote from: Raven on Yesterday at 09:05:59 PM

Yes, you are absolutely correct.  We only have two, but certainly two of those events have happened at the same time: usually both hungry and both yelling.