# 2. Choose an AI Assistant

> Choose an accessible, affordable place to begin.

[Confident with AI course contents](https://charli.info/training/confident-with-ai/)

Part One: Begin Using AI

Choose an accessible, affordable place to begin.

**Estimated time:** 10 minutes. **Last reviewed:** 11 August 2026.

## What you need to know

This page stands alone. No previous AI knowledge is required. You need access to an AI assistant only for the activity.

**Learning outcome:** By the end, you will have chosen one assistant to try without treating the choice as permanent.

**Before you begin:** Do not paste private, confidential or identifying information while testing. Do not pay for a subscription merely to complete this course.

## The lesson

Begin with the service that is easiest to access on your device.

Free access is enough for this course. Do not subscribe merely to complete it.

Assistant names, prices and features change, so current product comparisons belong in Tool Cards.

See the [General AI Assistants Tool Card](https://charli.info/training/confident-with-ai/tool-cards/ai-assistants/) for services you can try.

### What to check

- Can you create an account and sign in?
- Can you find the message box and send a message?
- Can you read and navigate the response comfortably?
- Are the features you need available without payment?

## Worked example

Priya tries two assistants. Both let her send messages, but one presents long answers more cleanly with her screen reader.

She chooses that assistant for now. She has not decided it is the best assistant—only that it is the easiest place to begin.

## Try it

Use the General AI Assistants Tool Card to choose one or two services to try. Check that you can sign in if necessary, find the message box, send a message and read the response with your preferred access method. Check that the features you need are available without payment.

## Checkpoint

You can name the assistant you will use for now, confirm that basic conversation is accessible and explain why you can change later.

- Previous: [1. Start Here: Your First Five Minutes with AI](https://charli.info/training/confident-with-ai/modules/01-start-here/)
- [Course contents](https://charli.info/training/confident-with-ai/)
- Next: [3. Have Your First Useful Conversation](https://charli.info/training/confident-with-ai/modules/03-first-useful-conversation/)

## About this course

*Confident with AI* was created by Charli-Jo Tyrer in association with the Technology Association of Visually Impaired People (TAVIP).

Licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).