Don't let AI beat you.
You programmed a VCR. You survived dial-up. You figured out the smartphone. You can handle AI too, and we'll show you how, in plain English.
Free for 30 days. No email, no account, no credit card. Just start.
See yourself in 1985.
One photo from today. One prompt from Dave. A free AI app turns it into a snapshot straight out of your parents' photo album, acid-wash, boombox, orange date stamp and all.
Takes about 5 minutes. No spam, never sold, leave anytime. See how it works
Got a weird message? Run it through AI Scam Check.
Paste a suspicious email, text, chat, or job offer, or upload a screenshot. You get a red, yellow, or green light, plus exactly what gave it away, so next time you'll spot it yourself. Your message never leaves your screen.
Today's quiz is one day of our free 30-day course. Start any day, go at your own pace.
Made for the generation that played outside
We grew up playing outside till the streetlights came on, respecting our elders, and watching Friends and Cheers. Now AI shows up talking in acronyms, like we're supposed to already know. JumpTheSharkAI.com is here to make sense of it.
Plain talk
Every term gets explained in words you already use. If we can't say it simply, we don't say it.
Straight answers
What AI is good at, what it's bad at, and where it'll steer you wrong. No sales pitch.
Start anywhere
Never opened a chatbot? Perfect. Already dabbling? Also perfect. There are no dumb questions here.
AI, translated
A little taste of what's coming: AI terms, decoded with references you'll actually get.
Prompt
The question or instruction you type into an AI.
Gen X translation: Like asking the reference librarian. The clearer the question, the better the answer.
Chatbot
A program you talk to by typing, and it types back.
Gen X translation: Remember AOL chat rooms? Same idea. Only now the other side is a computer, and it actually answers.
Hallucination
When AI confidently makes something up.
Gen X translation: Like your uncle at Thanksgiving: sounds sure of himself, not always right. Always double-check.
Large Language Model (LLM)
The engine behind tools like ChatGPT and Claude.
Gen X translation: Think of your phone's autocomplete, but it read a library's worth of text first.
AI Agent
An AI that can take actions for you, not just talk.
Gen X translation: Less like a Magic 8-Ball, more like a personal assistant who can actually book the table.
Deepfake
Fake video, photos, or audio made with AI to look real.
Gen X translation: Photoshop grew up and learned to talk. Be skeptical of anything that seems too wild.
Who's behind this?
I'm Dave Chung. I've spent 25+ years in broadcast TV and live events, including six years at TechTV, where our whole job was explaining technology to regular people. I'm Gen X too. I just happen to speak both languages.
Read my storyWhy "Jump the Shark"?
It's the TV term for the moment a show goes too far. Plenty of people feel that way about AI. We think the smarter move is to learn it, use it on your terms, and land the jump.
Two places to hang out
Every good show had a spot where everybody met up. We've got two.
The Peachy Pit
For members: live chat with each other, weekly live hangouts with Dave, and a prompt swap. Pull up a stool.
Step inside → Members only · The study loungeStudy Hall
A quiet corner to study at your own pace, with a coffee break timer, a lesson checklist, and a cheat sheet.
Grab a seat →Learn AI with people who remember rotary phones
The 30-day course and today's quiz are free, and you never have to give us your email for those. AI Scam Check is free with just your email. Everything else is for members: live sessions with Dave, deep-dives, Study Hall, and the Peachy Pit. Founding members who join by December 11 lock in $5 a month for life. After that, membership is $8 a month.Membership is $8 a month.
$0
- The 30-day AI course, right here on the site
- Today's quiz on the front page, every day
- Public videos on the JumpTheSharkAI YouTube channel (coming soon)
- AI Scam Check, free with just your email
- Course and quiz: no email, no account, no credit card
$5 / month, for life
$8 / month
Join by December 11 and keep $5 for as long as you're a member. After that, membership is $8/month.
- Weekly live sessions where you can ask Dave questions in real time
- Bonus deep-dives and extra classes, on top of the free basics
- Members-only email with each week's live session link
- The Peachy Pit: the members-only hangout with live chat and a prompt swap
- Study Hall, the Trust but Verify checklist, and Dave's prompt library
- JTSAI Picks of the Week: the best free AI classes, explained in plain English and in the order to take them
- Cancel anytime, no hoops to jump through
Memberships open November 11 at 11:11am Pacific. Secure checkout by Stripe. Founding price stays as long as your membership stays active.
Want a heads-up? Totally optional.
The 30-day course and daily quiz are free, no sign-up needed. After that, it takes an email and a membership. If you'd like a heads-up when memberships open on November 11 (and the $5 founding price kicks in), leave your email. No spam, we never sell your email, and you can leave anytime.