If you’ve heard people talk about ChatGPT, “AI” or “chatbots” and wondered what all the fuss is about, or whether you’re already too far behind, you’re in the right place.

You’re not behind. A little under half of American adults now say they’ve used ChatGPT. In 2023 it was fewer than one in five, so most people are only just getting started too. Among people 65 and older, it’s about one in five.

About half of adults never use an AI chatbot at all. Most say they simply aren’t interested; others worry about privacy or accuracy. Those are good reasons to be careful, and good reasons to learn. You don’t have to love this technology. But it’s already in your phone, your bank, your doctor’s office and your grandkids’ homework, so it’s worth understanding.

This section is built for beginners. Start anywhere, go at your own pace, and come back as often as you like.

Three ways in

We’ve been writing about AI since 2023, mostly about where it’s taking all of us. This corner of the site is about something simpler: helping you use it well, today, for your own life.

— David Brochu, Deconstructing Babel

Figures: Pew Research Center, Americans and AI 2026 (June 17, 2026) and detailed tables; Why don’t some people use chatbots?