ken ashe

You Can Use AI to Learn Almost Anything. Even AI.

By Ken Ashe September 14, 2026 Human-directed, AI-assisted

Pixel illustration of a person at a computer under a sign showing a loop: practice, feedback, mastery. A stone path leads away from the desk toward a wooden signpost that reads new goals.
I kept the tutor. I did not finish the plan.

I wanted to get better at using AI, so I asked ChatGPT to teach me.

I did not just ask it questions. I asked it to build a 30-day course with practical exercises, quizzes, and feedback. About 30 minutes a day, focused on what I wanted to become able to do.

The important instruction was simple: do not just explain the topic. Make me practice it.

Turn it into a tutor

My course covered prompting, checking AI-generated answers, and the difference between workflows and agents.

I asked ChatGPT to give me questions, wait for my answers, and explain what I got right or wrong. When I struggled with something, I wanted to revisit it rather than move on just to finish the schedule.

Mastery, not pace.

That was more useful to me than simply asking for explanations. I had to attempt something, examine the feedback, and ask follow-up questions when I did not understand.

The model’s feedback still needed checking. A confident explanation or a passing score was not proof that either of us was right.

Try it with something you want to learn

You could use this approach to practice a language, understand a software tool, or explore a subject you have been putting off.

Here is a starting prompt:

Act as my tutor for [subject]. My goal is to [what I want to be able to do].

Start by asking questions to assess what I already know. Then build a learning plan for about 30 minutes a day.

Teach one concept at a time. Give me an exercise, wait for my answer, and explain what I got right or wrong. Revisit the parts I struggle with. Include practical tasks and sources I can check.

Your answers give you something to work with. Ask for another example, challenge the feedback, or try a harder exercise.

Change the lessons when your goals change

I eventually stopped following my original curriculum because I wanted to focus on agents that use tools and complete tasks. I changed the training to match.

The earlier program was still useful. I did not need to finish it just because it was the original plan.

You do not have to use AI only to do things for you. You can use it to help you learn how to do them yourself.

I started with AI. The subject you choose is up to you.