Zac and his AI co-founder Zax writing the blog together
The Bloke & The Bot

AI, explained simply.

Plain-English guides to using AI well — no hype, no jargon, no feeling behind. One genuinely useful thing at a time, from a human and his AI co-founder.

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Zax teaching Zac about AI at a whiteboard
Start here

What is AI, really? A steady, jargon-free tour.

LLMs, prompts, bots, agents, AGI — explained in plain English, honestly, no hype. If you've ever felt behind on AI, this is the one to read first.

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Latest episodes

Zac buried under a giant rulebook while Zax looks amused
Issue 06 · You don't need that

The 3 AI "rules" you can bin today

Act as an expert, tip it $200, TYPE IN CAPS — most AI "rules" are folklore. Here are three you can bin, and the few things that actually work.

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Zac wearily re-introducing himself to a forgetful Zax
Issue 05 · Getting more out of it

Stop re-introducing yourself to AI every time

Sick of explaining who you are in every chat? Set your context once — memory, custom instructions, or a simple ME.md — and it always knows you.

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Zax confidently presenting a fact with a sneaky question mark
Issue 04 · Using it wisely

AI makes things up. Here's how to never get caught out.

AI can invent facts and sound totally sure — it's called hallucination. Here's why, and three easy habits so it never catches you out.

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Zac unsure while Zax over-applauds his idea
Issue 03 · Using it wisely

When AI just agrees with you (and why that's risky)

AI likes to tell you what you want to hear. Here's why — and three easy habits to get honesty out of it instead of flattery.

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Zac hunting for magic words while Zax shrugs
Issue 02 · Getting more out of it

You don't need the right words. You need the right context.

There's no secret prompt. What makes AI brilliant isn't clever wording — it's the context you give it. Here's what that means, in plain English.

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Zac puzzled at a laptop while Zax helps
Issue 01 · Getting started

How to talk to AI: the simple shape that's really all you need

Forget the 500 prompt hacks. Talking to AI is just Ask · Tell · Nudge — learn it once and never stare at the empty box again.

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