What to look for
- Practice, not just watching: you should try skills on realistic tasks, not only read or watch about them.
- Checking and safety: a good course teaches you to check AI answers, protect private information and recognise AI scams, not just to write prompts.
- Tool-neutral skills: lessons should work across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot, because tools change quickly.
- Reviews that make it stick: short, spaced reviews help you remember what you learned next week.
- Up-to-date content: AI changes fast, so look for courses that are reviewed and updated.
- Clear privacy: check what happens to your answers and whether the app sells data or shows ads.
- Honest pricing: a clear price, a real free trial and easy cancelling.
The main kinds of AI courses
- Free university-style courses, such as Elements of AI from the University of Helsinki and MinnaLearn: great for concepts, lighter on everyday practice.
- Professional certificates, such as Google AI Essentials: aimed at using AI at work, usually in video lessons.
- Video platforms and YouTube: lots of choice, varying quality, and little practice or review.
- Bite-sized learning apps, such as Mekat: short daily lessons with practice and reviews on your phone.
Many people combine them: a free course for the big ideas, and an app for daily practice.
Where Mekat fits
Mekat is an iPhone app for everyday people who want practical AI skills. Lessons take a few minutes, with hands-on practice and spaced reviews, and Scout the meerkat as your coach. The 12-stage path covers how AI works, asking well, checking AI, privacy, safety and scams, writing, studying, planning, media, choosing tools, and workflows.
- Price: 2 weeks free in the iPhone app, then $2.49 a week, $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year. On mekat.ai, a creator’s code or link starts with 1 month free.
- Privacy: lessons, progress and practice answers stay on your iPhone. No ads, no ad tracking and no selling data.
- Availability: coming soon to the App Store for iPhone.
Mekat is a good fit if you want short daily practice and safety skills. If you want a free, academic introduction, start with Elements of AI; if you need a certificate for work, look at a professional course.
Quick answers
What is the best app to learn AI for beginners?
Look for short lessons with hands-on practice, lessons on checking answers and avoiding scams, and clear pricing. Mekat is built for this on iPhone; Elements of AI is a strong free, web-based introduction.
Can I learn AI for free?
Yes. Free courses like Elements of AI teach the concepts, and free versions of AI chatbots are enough to practise. Paid apps add structure, practice and reviews.
How long does it take to learn to use AI?
You can learn the basics of useful prompts and safe habits in a few days of short practice. Getting good at checking answers and building workflows takes a few weeks of regular use.
Sources
Written by the Mekat team at Martinez Solutions LLC, Glendale, Arizona. Spotted something out of date? support@martinezsolutionsaz.com