AI in Plain English
AI, demystified for parents and kids — LLMs, prompts, agents, MCP, workflows and skills, told as one running story: the Librarian behind a mail slot.
AI Is Just a Word-Guessing Machine — Meet the Librarian Behind the Slot
Before the jargon makes sense, you need to meet the Librarian. One strange but true idea explains almost everything about how AI actually works.
Passing Notes Through the Slot: What a Prompt Really Is
A prompt is the note you slip to the AI Librarian. Learn what makes a good one — and why the Librarian can never ask you to clarify.
The Librarian Forgets You Instantly — How We Fake a Memory
Every AI reply starts from scratch. Find out the simple trick that makes a chatbot seem to remember your whole conversation — and why long chats start to drift.
Hiring a Runner: What an 'AI Agent' Really Is
AI agents sound futuristic and scary. They're not. Meet the Runner — the plain helper who does the legwork the Librarian can't, so the genius stays behind the wall.
Sending the Runner to Fetch Books and Ask Around Outside
AI only knows what it read long ago — and sometimes makes things up. Here is how fetching your own files (RAG) and live web search fix both problems.
The Agreed Notes: Function Calling and MCP in Plain Words
Function calling and MCP explained without the jargon. Two simple agreements that let AI ask for help and get it — for parents and kids with no tech background.
Which Slot Are You Standing At? Chat, Coding Tools, and Assistants
Chat box, coding tool, or desktop assistant — the window looks different every time, but the same Librarian is always behind the slot. No coding needed.
When the Errand Is Always the Same: Workflows
A workflow is a fixed recipe of steps where only one needs a genius. Here is what that means, why it helps, and where it falls short.
Leaving an Instruction Sheet: 'Skills,' from Rigid to Flexible
What is an AI skill? It is an instruction sheet plus ready-made scripts that the Runner loads only when needed — the sweet spot between a rigid recipe and a free-roaming agent.
The One Trick to Decode Any New AI Buzzword
Every AI buzzword is doing one of just two things. Once you know which, no new term can confuse you again. The finale of AI in Plain English.