Lately, I have been seeing videos promoting free courses on Google Gemini.
At first, I was curious.
Then I thought about it for a moment.
Do I really need to study Gemini?
My answer is: not necessarily.
But I do think there is something very interesting we can learn from Gemini — and that is comparison.
I have been using ChatGPT for about two years. It has become my AI companion and a very capable assistant for writing, researching, brainstorming, blogging and exploring new ideas.
So instead of becoming a Gemini student, I would rather do something more practical:
Give ChatGPT and Gemini the same tasks and see what happens.
That could be much more interesting.
Free AI Courses From Google
Google has been putting considerable effort into AI education.
Its Grow with Google program now offers a range of AI training designed for people with different levels of experience. Google says its AI training is designed to help people build practical AI skills, and some of its workshops are offered at no cost.
One of the better-known programs is Google AI Essentials.
Google describes it as a beginner-friendly course requiring no previous AI experience. It covers topics such as understanding AI, using generative AI tools, writing better prompts, using AI responsibly and choosing appropriate AI tools. The course is self-paced and takes under 10 hours.
There are also shorter AI learning resources, which I think are particularly attractive to people who don't want to sit through hours of technical training.
And that brings me to an important point.
You don't have to become an AI expert.
You don't need to understand how a large language model is built.
You don't need to learn programming.
You don't need to become an AI engineer.
For most ordinary people, the real question is much simpler:
Can AI help me do something useful?
That is the question I would ask.
What About Gemini?
Google's Gemini is Google's AI assistant.
Like ChatGPT, it can help with writing, brainstorming, research, summarizing information, analyzing files and many other tasks.
Google is also continuing to add capabilities and integrate Gemini with its broader ecosystem.
That makes Gemini particularly interesting for people who already live inside Google's world — Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Workspace and other Google services.
However, there is an important catch.
Free does not always mean unlimited.
Google currently has usage limits on Gemini, and some features and higher levels of access are available through paid Google AI plans. Google says these limits can depend on the complexity of the request, the model and the feature being used.
So when you see a YouTube video saying:
“Master Gemini — FREE!”
it is worth remembering that the course may be free while some of the features demonstrated in the course may require a paid plan.
That doesn't make the course bad.
It simply means we should read the fine print.
What About ChatGPT?
Interestingly, OpenAI also has free educational resources.
OpenAI Academy currently offers free, self-paced courses including AI Foundations, Applied AI Foundations, and Agents and Workflows. The courses don't require technical experience.
The introductory AI Foundations course is estimated at about 60–75 minutes, while Applied AI Foundations and Agents and Workflows are each estimated at roughly 75–90 minutes.
So Google isn't the only company teaching people how to use AI.
And this creates an interesting situation.
We now have the AI companies teaching us how to use their own AI.
That is both useful and something worth thinking about.
Which One Should Seniors Learn?
This is where I have a slightly different opinion.
I don't think seniors should feel pressured to take a long AI course simply because everyone is talking about AI.
If you are curious, start small.
Try a 20- or 30-minute lesson.
Then open the AI and actually use it.
Ask it to help you with something you genuinely care about.
For example:
Write a letter to a friend.
Explain something complicated in simple English.
Plan a trip.
Translate something.
Brainstorm ideas for a hobby.
Help organize family photographs.
Explain a technology problem.
Write a blog post.
Create an image.
Research a subject you are interested in.
That is where the real learning begins.
Learn by doing.
My Idea: ChatGPT vs. Gemini
Rather than spending many hours studying Gemini, I would like to try something much more practical.
Give exactly the same question to ChatGPT and Gemini.
Then compare the answers.
For example:
“Write a 500-word article about why autumn leaves are beautiful.”
Give the same instruction to both.
Then compare:
Which one is more natural?
Which one understands the assignment better?
Which one produces more interesting ideas?
Which one requires less editing?
And we can do the same thing with research, images, translation, brainstorming and other tasks.
This is not about proving that one AI is the winner.
It is about discovering which AI is better for a particular job.
That's a much more useful question.
AI Is Becoming a Toolbox
I don't think we should look at AI as a competition where we have to choose only one tool.
Think of AI as a toolbox.
A carpenter doesn't use the same tool for every job.
A screwdriver, hammer, saw and measuring tape all have different purposes.
AI may be heading in the same direction.
Perhaps ChatGPT will be my best tool for one task.
Gemini might be better for another.
Another AI might be better for images.
Another might be better for video.
And tomorrow, something completely new may appear.
The important skill isn't memorizing the name of every AI product.
The important skill is knowing how to work with AI.
The Real Advantage of Being Older
There is another reason I find this subject interesting.
Many seniors may look at AI and think:
“This technology is moving too fast. I'm too old to learn it.”
I don't agree.
You don't need to race against young people.
You don't need to become a programmer.
You don't need to know every new AI feature.
You simply need curiosity.
In fact, having decades of life experience can be an advantage.
You know what questions are worth asking.
You know when something doesn't sound right.
You have experience with people, work, family, money, travel, relationships and everyday life.
AI has enormous amounts of information.
You have experience.
The combination can be surprisingly powerful.
My Conclusion
So, am I going to take a full Gemini course?
Probably not.
But am I interested in Gemini?
Absolutely.
I don't want to become a Gemini expert.
I want to become a better AI user.
And I think comparing ChatGPT and Gemini using real-life tasks could be far more valuable than simply watching another course.
Perhaps that will become my next experiment for AI123.ca.
I'll give both AIs the same questions.
I'll let them do the work.
And then I'll tell you what I discover.
No theory.
No complicated technical language.
Just a simple question:
Which AI is more useful to an ordinary person in everyday life?
That, I think, is a test worth taking.
A Note for Readers
If you are completely new to AI, you don't have to start with a long course.
Google offers AI learning resources through Grow with Google, including beginner-oriented training. OpenAI also offers free learning through OpenAI Academy. Both are worth exploring if you want to understand the basics.
But don't feel that you have to finish a course before you can use AI.
Open an AI assistant. Ask a question. Try something useful. Learn one thing at a time.
That may be the easiest AI course of all.
Hashtags:
#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #ChatGPT #Gemini #GoogleGemini #OpenAI #AICourses #FreeAI #AIForSeniors #SeniorsAndTechnology #AITips #GenerativeAI #AI123 #LearnAI #TechForSeniors
免费 AI 课程越来越多——但我们真的需要再学一个 AI 吗？
最近，我偶然看到一些介绍 Google Gemini 免费课程 的视频。
一开始，我觉得很有兴趣。
但是想了一想，我又问自己：
我真的需要花时间去学习 Gemini 吗？
我的答案是：
不一定。
不过，我认为 Gemini 仍然非常值得我们关注。
不是因为我们一定要成为 Gemini 专家，而是因为我们可以做一件更有趣、更实际的事情：
把 ChatGPT 和 Gemini 放在一起比较。
Google 有很多免费的 AI 学习资源
现在，Google 已经提供了不少 AI 学习资源，而且不同程度的学习者都可以找到适合自己的内容。
例如，Google 的 Introduction to Generative AI（生成式 AI 简介） 大约只有 30 分钟，而且目前标示为免费。它适合刚开始接触 AI 的人。
另外还有 AI Boost Bites，每个学习内容大约 10 分钟，比较适合不想一次花很多时间学习的人。
Google 也提供 Google AI Essentials。
不过这里要注意一个容易混淆的地方：
“Google 有免费的 AI 学习资源”，并不代表 Google 的所有 AI 课程都是免费的。
目前 Google AI Essentials 在 Coursera 上是收费课程。Google 的资料显示，它是自定进度的课程，不需要任何技术背景。
所以，当我们在 YouTube 上看到：
“免费学习 Gemini！”
最好先看看视频介绍的到底是免费课程，还是课程本身免费、但里面示范的一些 AI 功能需要付费。
OpenAI 也有免费的 AI 课程
有趣的是，Google 并不是唯一一家教大家学习 AI 的公司。
OpenAI 现在也有 OpenAI Academy。
其中的 AI Foundations 是免费的、自定进度的课程，大约需要 60–75 分钟。
课程主要介绍 AI、大型语言模型和 ChatGPT，并帮助学习者学习如何提出清楚的要求、提供适当的背景资料、检查 AI 的答案，以及比较负责任地使用 AI。
另外还有：
Applied AI Foundations
以及：
Agents and Workflows
它们分别帮助使用者把简单的 AI 提示发展成比较有系统的工作流程。
我觉得这是一件好事。
因为 AI 发展得太快了，如果我们只是会“问问题”，却不知道怎样检查答案、怎样给 AI 更多背景资料，那么我们很容易把 AI 当成一个永远正确的机器。
AI 并不永远正确。
这一点非常重要。
那么，长者适合学习这些课程吗？
我认为：
当然适合。
但是，我不建议长者一开始就报名参加十几个小时的课程。
其实没有必要。
如果你是 AI 初学者，可以先花 30 分钟了解生成式 AI 是什么。
然后打开 ChatGPT 或 Gemini，自己试一试。
例如：
“帮我写一封给朋友的信。”
“请用简单的中文解释人工智能。”
“帮我计划一次旅行。”
“把这篇英文文章翻译成中文。”
“帮我想十个博客题目。”
你会发现：
真正的学习，是从自己动手开始的。
我为什么不打算认真学习 Gemini？
我已经使用 ChatGPT 大约两年了。
在这段时间里，我慢慢学会怎样向 AI 提问、怎样修改答案、怎样让 AI 帮我写文章、研究资料、产生新的想法。
ChatGPT 已经成为我的一个 AI 伙伴和很有能力的助手。
所以，现在如果我要花很多时间去学习 Gemini 的每一个功能，我觉得未必是最有效率的方法。
我更有兴趣做另一件事：
比较。
ChatGPT 对 Gemini：谁比较好？
这可能是一个非常有趣的实验。
不要先假定谁比较好。
我们给两个 AI 完全一样的问题。
例如：
“请写一篇 500 字的文章，题目是《为什么秋天的树叶这么美丽？》。”
把完全相同的问题分别交给 ChatGPT 和 Gemini。
然后比较：
哪个写得比较自然？
哪个比较有感情？
哪个比较符合要求？
哪个需要较少修改？
哪个比较适合博客？
这才是真正有意义的比较。
我们还可以测试很多其他事情
例如：
1. 写作
给 ChatGPT 和 Gemini 同一个题目。
看看谁写出来的文章比较好。
2. 资料研究
给两个 AI 同一个问题。
看看谁提供的资料比较完整，谁比较容易让人理解。
当然，重要资料仍然应该自己核实。
3. 翻译
给它们同一段英文。
看看谁翻译出来的中文比较自然。
4. 图片
让两个 AI 根据相同的描述制作图片。
看看结果有什么不同。
5. 博客创意
问：
“给我 20 个适合退休人士阅读的 AI 博客题目。”
看看两个 AI 谁的想法更有趣。
6. 日常生活
甚至可以问：
“我今天下午只有两个小时，应该怎样安排时间？”
看看两个 AI 会给我们什么不同的建议。
这比单纯看一套课程有趣得多。
我认为 AI 更像一个工具箱
我不认为我们一定要选择：
ChatGPT 或 Gemini。
为什么不能两者都用？
就像一个木匠的工具箱里，不会只有一把螺丝刀。
不同工具有不同用途。
未来的 AI 世界可能也是这样。
ChatGPT 可能在某些事情上比较适合我。
Gemini 可能在另外一些事情上比较方便。
其他 AI 可能在图片、视频、音乐或某些专业工作上更强。
所以，我真正想学习的不是：
“哪一个 AI 是世界第一？”
而是：
“哪一个 AI 最适合我现在要做的事情？”
这个问题更实际。
对长者来说，还有一个很重要的优势
很多长者看到 AI 发展得这么快，可能会想：
“这些东西太复杂了，我年纪大了，学不会。”
我不这样认为。
我们不需要成为程序员。
也不需要了解 AI 背后的所有技术。
更不需要记住每一个新功能。
我们只需要保持一点：
好奇心。
其实长者还有一个年轻人没有的优势：
生活经验。
AI 有大量的资料。
但是 AI 没有真正经历过我们的人生。
我们经历过工作、家庭、旅行、朋友、困难、成功、失败，以及几十年的人生变化。
AI 有知识。
我们有经验。
把两者结合起来，反而可能产生非常好的结果。
我的想法很简单
所以，我不会因为网上出现了很多 Gemini 免费课程，就马上花很多时间去学习 Gemini。
但是，我对 Gemini 很有兴趣。
因为我想知道：
ChatGPT 和 Gemini 到底有什么不同？
而且，我认为这个问题也很适合 AI123.ca 的读者。
我们可以把两个 AI 放在一起。
给它们相同的问题。
让它们回答。
然后比较结果。
不需要复杂的技术语言。
不需要争论哪个 AI 一定最好。
我们只需要实际测试。
谁比较有用，结果就会告诉我们答案。
最后，我给长者朋友的建议
如果你从来没有使用过 AI，不需要马上报名十几个小时的课程。
先学习 30 分钟。
然后自己试一试。
问一个你真正关心的问题。
再问第二个。
再问第三个。
慢慢地，你就会发现：
AI 没有想象中那么可怕。
而且，学习 AI 并不是为了赶上年轻人。
也不是为了成为 AI 专家。
我们学习 AI，是为了让自己的生活多一个有用的工具。
至于我呢？
我不会急着成为 Gemini 专家。
我更想做一个实验：
ChatGPT vs. Gemini。
同一个问题。
两个 AI。
看看谁的答案更好。
然后把我的真实体验告诉你。
我觉得，这可能比上一堂 AI 课更加有趣。
让我们一起看看，AI 到底能够为普通人的生活做些什么。