Living Well / Free resources

AI literacy & thoughtful use

A useful way in

Choose one place to begin.

Understand the tools well enough to ask useful questions, check an answer, and decide when a simpler approach is sufficient.

Learning about AI need not mean following every product announcement. A useful foundation is to understand what a system is being asked to do, what information it receives, and what you will need to check. These resources offer accessible explanations and optional routes into deeper study.

Start with: How AI Works. Start with Introducing How AI Works at the top of the page, not the full lesson sequence.

4 selections

Resources with a clear purpose.

Watch · Free to browse

How AI Works

Code.org

A low-commitment explanation before choosing an AI tool. Classroom framing does not prevent an adult newcomer from using the introductory material.

Begin here: Start with Introducing How AI Works at the top of the page, not the full lesson sequence.

Access: Free public videos and lesson material; no account needed for the introductory video page.

Perspective: Introductory AI education

Watch the introductory video

Context & source

Designed for education. Separate learning about AI from deciding whether a particular tool fits your task.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

Learn · Free account for participation

OpenAI Academy

OpenAI

A direct source for learning how the provider expects its tools to be used. It can support a practical task without making training the main project.

Begin here: Browse the course list first; choose an introductory AI Foundations option rather than an advanced workflow.

Access: Courses are free. A ChatGPT account is required to start a course and save progress.

Perspective: Vendor-authored education

Browse Academy courses

Context & source

Vendor-authored education. Free training does not mean every demonstrated product feature is free.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

Read · Free to browse

Getting started with Claude

Anthropic, Claude Academy

A short provider-authored introduction for readers who want to understand a first request before exploring more advanced tools.

Begin here: Read the first-prompt section. Use fictional, non-sensitive information when trying an example.

Access: The selected written tutorial is free to read. Course progress and using Claude have separate sign-in requirements.

Perspective: Vendor-authored education

Read Getting started with Claude

Context & source

Vendor-authored education; feature access depends on the product and plan, not the tutorial's price.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public page and provider access information reviewed; app use, course completion, and media playback are not independently verified.

Introductory course · Free account for participation

Elements of AI

University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn

A slower route into the concepts behind AI for someone who would like more than a product demonstration.

Begin here: Browse the overview and begin with the chapter asking what AI is.

Access: Free introductory course. Account features support exercises and progress; check the selected language edition.

Perspective: University and education-provider course

Explore Elements of AI

Context & source

A course requires more attention than a short guide; course access is not a promise of academic credit.

Related reading on Living Well

Source information reviewed 2026-10-09. Provider details.

Public provider description and source information reviewed. Registration, app installation, media playback, and completion were not tested.

Keep the context

Take what is useful, thoughtfully.

Independent educational material and vendor-authored tutorials serve different purposes. Read product examples as examples of the provider’s approach, not as neutral comparisons. Free lessons can demonstrate features that require payment elsewhere. Use fictional or non-sensitive material while learning, and keep responsibility for consequential decisions.

Selections are based on public source review, not a claim that Nolan uses every resource or belongs to the organizations listed.

Selection principles and review limits

Connect the resource to an idea.

On Living WellUse AI to understand something, not just get an answer

On Living WellBefore you ask AI what to do, decide what matters

All 12 resource collections · Explore the related subject