Bonus mission: a real task, start to finish
Pick an everyday task and complete it with the AI assistant of your choice, using the 4Ds one step at a time.
So far you’ve read, tried and practised. Now it’s for real: pick a mission, open your favourite assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Copilot… any will do) in another window and follow the steps. Each step is one of the 4Ds.
An optional, repeatable lesson
This mission doesn’t count towards course progress. When you’ve finished, you can come back and pick another one, or repeat the same one with a different idea: a new trip, another week of meals, another skill.
Never used an AI assistant before?
A good place to start is Duck.ai by DuckDuckGo: it’s free, needs no account, lets you choose between several AI models and is built with privacy in mind. Once you’re comfortable with how it works, you can move on to the better-known services mentioned above.
Choose your mission
1. Delegation: split the work
Before you write anything, decide who does what. The AI is good at drafts, ideas and structure. Decisions, money and final checks stay with you.
| The AI does | You do |
|---|---|
| Proposes a programme with timings | Choose dates, budget and who’s coming |
| Suggests places, activities or a menu | Check opening hours, prices and availability on official sites |
| Turns the plan into a checklist and a timeline | Book and pay, yourself |
| The AI does | You do |
|---|---|
| Proposes dinners that fit your constraints | Decide what you like and what you can cook |
| Writes the shopping list grouped by aisle | Check what’s already in the fridge and cupboard |
| Suggests how to reuse leftovers | Make allergy and health decisions with a qualified person |
| The AI does | You do |
|---|---|
| Breaks the skill into small daily steps | Choose the goal and how much time you have |
| Explains, sets exercises and corrects you | Do the exercises: that’s where the learning happens |
| Quizzes you on what you’ve learnt | Check important facts against a reliable source |
2. Description: the first request
Copy the template, replace the parts [in brackets] and paste it into your assistant. The last line asks the AI to ask you questions first: answer them, it’s worth it.
Plan the trip or event
Weekends away, parties, dinners with friends
I’m organising [a weekend in (place) / a birthday party / a dinner for 8 people] on [date or period].
Who’s involved: [how many people, ages, any special needs].
Budget: [total or per person].
We like [interests, food, atmosphere]; we want to avoid [things to avoid].
Give me a plan with timings, and mark what needs booking in advance.
Before answering, ask me up to 3 questions if something important is missing.
Plan the week’s dinners
Menus, shopping, using up what you have
Plan [5] dinners for [number] people for next week.
Constraints: [vegetarian / no lactose / budget around (amount) / at most (minutes) minutes to cook].
I already have: [ingredients in the fridge or cupboard].
We don’t like: [foods to avoid].
For each dinner: name, preparation time and a one-line description.
Before answering, ask me up to 3 questions if something important is missing.
Plan the 7 days of study
Software, languages, hobbies, practical skills
I want to learn [skill: e.g. spreadsheet basics / 20 useful phrases in Spanish / looking after houseplants] in 7 days.
My level: [complete beginner / I know a little].
I have [minutes] minutes a day, with [device or materials I have].
By the end of the week I want to be able to: [goal].
Make me a day-by-day plan: for each day one concept, one exercise and a 2-question quiz.
Before answering, ask me up to 3 questions if something important is missing.
3. Discernment: check before you trust
The answer will look convincing. Warm up on this example first: which sentences would you check?
On your real plan, check that:
- opening hours, prices and bookings match the official sites;
- the timings are realistic, including travel between one place and the next;
- the total adds up and stays within the budget.
On your real menu, check that:
- every recipe respects your constraints (vegetarian, allergens, cooking time);
- quantities match the number of people;
- the shopping list includes everything the recipes need, and nothing you already have.
On your real plan, check that:
- every exercise works when you try it yourself (if it doesn’t, ask the AI why);
- the key facts match an official guide, a textbook or a trusted website;
- the pace is realistic for the time you have each day.
4. Refine together
The first answer is a draft. Improve it with short follow-ups: copy these, adapt them and keep going until the result is really yours.
- “Saturday afternoon is too packed: drop one activity and add a break.”
- “Give me a plan B in case it rains.”
- “Turn the plan into a checklist split into ‘two weeks before’, ‘the day before’ and ‘on the day’.”
- “Write a short message to invite the others, with the date, the time and what to bring.”
- “On Tuesday I get home late: swap it for something ready in 15 minutes.”
- “Now write the shopping list grouped by aisle, leaving out what I already have.”
- “How can I reuse Monday’s leftovers in another dinner?”
- “Make the list cheaper: what can I swap without changing the recipes too much?”
- “Day 3 was too hard: explain it with an everyday example and give me an easier exercise.”
- “Quiz me on what I’ve learnt so far, one question at a time, and wait for my answer.”
- “Here’s my exercise: [paste]. Don’t give me the solution: tell me where I went wrong.”
- “Make me a one-page summary of the week to keep.”
If the chat gets very long and the AI starts “forgetting” things, open a new one and start with a short summary of what you’ve decided so far.
5. Diligence: before you use it
- Don’t paste other people’s phone numbers, addresses or payment details into the chat. Use placeholders like [GUEST 1].
- Book and pay only on official sites you found yourself, not on links you haven’t checked.
- If someone has allergies or special needs, ask them directly: don’t rely on the AI’s guesses.
- You can mention general preferences (“no meat”, “not much salt”), but avoid sharing detailed health information.
- For allergies, intolerances or medical diets, the last word goes to a doctor or a dietitian.
- Read the labels: the AI doesn’t know the exact products you buy.
- If the skill involves safety (electricity, medicines, tools, driving), use the AI to understand, then follow the official instructions or a professional.
- If it’s for school or work, follow the rules on using AI and say how you used it.
- The goal is for you to learn: try each exercise before asking for the solution.
The result is yours
The AI suggested, you decided. If something goes wrong, the responsibility isn’t the assistant’s: that’s exactly why you checked.
Mission log
Tick off the steps as you complete them. Everything stays saved on your device.