Set up ChatGPT and Google Gemini (free)
Listen to this lesson
Nigerian voice narration
Fictional training case. Before Monday, you want ChatGPT and Gemini ready on your phone and laptop so you're not fumbling with sign-up screens during work hours. This lesson walks through creating accounts safely with one Gmail and understanding free-tier limits. Work through the example, identify the evidence needed and practise the method with cleared or synthetic inputs. Any additional figures in the explanation are separate practice examples, not claimed rows in a downloadable file.
Worked example
Start at the official ChatGPT website or OpenAI app and follow an available free sign-up option. Use an account allowed by your organisation’s policy, complete the verification shown and enable two-step verification. A Google sign-in can be convenient but is not the only method. Open Gemini through Google’s official site with an eligible account and test both assistants using a harmless greeting. Decline paid upgrades for this course. If a feature limit is reached, read the message: you may need to wait or use an available alternative. Do not assume every account gets the same fallback model or reset time.
The method
Use an eligible account permitted by your organisation and enable two-step verification. A Google sign-in may be convenient where offered; it is not the only valid method. Check official app publishers and decline paid upgrades for these exercises. If a free limit appears, follow the displayed wait or alternative options, not an assumed reset time.
Worked practice and common mistakes
Open the official service website and confirm the app publisher before signing up. Complete the verification shown; not every account is asked for the same checks. Enable two-step verification and keep recovery codes private. Paid upgrades are optional. Free message and file limits change, so follow the displayed notice rather than assuming a fixed reset time or automatic fallback.
Review before using the result
Keep a secure setup checklist: official address and publisher, completed verification, recovery method and a successful harmless test. Free limits change and a paid upgrade is not required for this course. Never share passwords or verification codes with an activation seller.
Your workplace practice
Use the recommended free assistant with this lesson's fictional example. Hello! I'm a Nigerian civil servant learning to use AI at work. In 5 bullet points, tell me what you can help me with, and what I should never paste into you. Keep a copy of the input and draft. Compare the result with the verification steps above, record any correction, and retain placeholders where evidence is missing. The expected result is a checked draft for human review, not an automatically approved decision. Course examples and practice responses are fictional; amounts, dates, rules and thresholds are not official guidance or supplier quotations.
Hello! I'm a Nigerian civil servant learning to use AI at work. In 5 bullet points, tell me what you can help me with, and what I should never paste into you.
All-round drafting, rewriting tone, brainstorming and step-by-step explanations.
Free: Free chat for drafting and explanations; message, upload and feature limits vary. Read the displayed notice when a limit is reached.
Paid: Paid plans generally raise allowances or add tools; current availability and pricing are on the official plan page.
Sign up: Go to chatgpt.com → Sign up → Continue with Google (or email) → verify your phone number if asked.
Free chat for drafts, explanations and source-checking. Direct integrations inside Google applications may require a different plan.
Free: Free chat with an eligible Google account. Uploads, search and other features depend on current limits and account availability.
Paid: Paid Google AI plans may add features and allowances; check the current plan, account eligibility and application requirements.
Sign up: Open gemini.google.com → sign in with your Gmail account → accept the terms. No new account needed.
Long documents, careful formal writing, policies and reports where tone and nuance matter.
Free: Free text assistance and supported uploads with changing limits. Follow the displayed usage notice; no fixed reset time is promised.
Paid: Paid plans generally offer higher allowances and additional capabilities; check the current official comparison.
Sign up: Go to claude.ai → Continue with Google or email → confirm the link sent to your inbox.
Excel formulas, Word and Outlook-style writing, and staff whose office already runs on Microsoft 365.
Free: Free chat where available; sign-in, uploads and feature allowances depend on current account and service requirements.
Paid: Embedded Office features have separate application, account and licensing requirements; check the current plan comparison.
Sign up: Visit copilot.microsoft.com → Sign in with an Outlook/Hotmail account (or create one free).
Source-oriented search for research and fact-checking; open the cited passages and verify the actual claim.
Free: Free search with changing limits on advanced features. Sources still require independent verification.
Paid: Paid plans generally raise allowances and add research features; current options and limits can change.
Sign up: Open perplexity.ai → Sign up with Google or email. You can also search without an account.
Studying cleared documents through source-grounded answers and references; check the response against the original passages.
Free: Free access with an eligible Google account; notebook, source and audio feature limits can change.
Paid: Paid options may raise notebook, source and feature limits; check the current official comparison and eligibility.
Sign up: Go to notebooklm.google.com → sign in with Gmail → Create new notebook → upload a PDF or paste text.
Quick help inside WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram — great for short replies and broadcast drafts on the go.
Free: Free text assistance where available in Meta apps or on the official website. Account and regional availability vary.
Paid: No paid AI upgrade is required for this course exercise. Check the official service for current plans and features.
Sign up: In WhatsApp tap the blue-ring Meta AI icon on the Chats screen, or open meta.ai and log in with Facebook/Instagram.
Free limits and prices change often — check each tool's website for the latest.