Your First Week with AI
Quick Start Guide
AI tools are showing up everywhere, and you may already be curious (or a little nervous) about what to do with them. Best Friends is here to help. You don’t need any special training, technical background, or fancy tools to get started. You just need a free account and some basic knowledge.
What AI Actually Is (and Isn’t)
You can create a free account using an AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. These are chat-based programs you type questions or requests into. It's like texting a very fast, well-read assistant, not searching Google. It doesn’t “know” your organization unless you tell it. It generates a response by predicting likely words.
Free Tools Aren't Private. Don't Type What You Wouldn't Post Publicly
If you're using a free, personal AI account (not something your organization has vetted or secured), assume anything you type could be stored, reviewed, or used to improve the tool. Never enter names, addresses, financials, or personal info about adopters, fosters, donors, or animals with legal holds.
AI Drafts. You Review and Approve
Never copy/paste an AI response straight into an email, post, or document without reading it fully first. Check names, numbers, links, and tone. AI doesn’t automatically know your voice, your community, or your relationships.
Good First Things to Try
Low-risk, high-value starting points: drafting a social media caption, writing a first draft of a routine email, summarizing your own meeting notes, brainstorming ideas for an event, or rewording something you’ve already written to sound more polished. These let you learn the tool without any sensitive info involved.
It Sounds Confident, Even When It’s Wrong
AI can state incorrect facts, numbers, dates, or citations with total confidence. Errors or hallucinations are typical and expected. Never treat AI produced content as a source of truth the way you might trust a third-party news or data source. Always verify anything factual (laws, statistics, medical guidance, legal
language) with a real source before using it.
When You're Not Sure, Ask Before You Type
If a task involves donor information, legal or HR matters, animal medical records, or anything confidential, you may be able to use a paid, closed AI tool, but check with your supervisor or whoever owns AI guidance (usually IT) at your organization. It's generally not advised to use a free AI tool for any of those matters
