Frequently Asked Questions
What this site is, what you will find on it, and how to use the glossary, the model and tool pages, and the use-case guides.
What is HowAIWorks.ai?
A free reference site about AI. It has four parts: a glossary that defines the terms, model pages that describe individual AI models and what they cost, tool pages that cover the applications built on those models, and use-case guides that walk through applying AI to a specific job. A blog covers new releases and research as they land.
Do you offer courses, lessons or certificates?
No. There are no courses, no lesson sequences, no progress tracking and no certificates. This is a reference site you read, not a curriculum you enrol in — you arrive with a question, find the page that answers it, and leave. Nothing is gated and there is no account to create.
Do I need a technical background?
No. Glossary entries start from the plain-language meaning of a term before they get near the mathematics, and every page explains why the concept matters in practice. Some model pages get specific about benchmarks and pricing, but you can read them for the summary and skip the numbers.
Where should I start?
If you are new to AI, start with the glossary — the entries link to each other, so one term leads to the ones it depends on. If you already know the vocabulary and want to get something done, start with the use-case guides, which are organised by the job rather than by the technology.
What is in the glossary?
Over 180 terms, from the basics like artificial intelligence and machine learning to specifics like retrieval-augmented generation and mixture of experts. Each entry explains what the term means, how it works, where it is used in practice, and which related terms are worth reading next. The glossary has a search box if you know what you are after.
Which AI models do you cover?
Over 40, including the models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Meta, Mistral and DeepSeek, alongside image, video and audio models. Each page covers what the model is good at, its context window and pricing, how it compares to its peers, and its limitations. Model releases move fast, so treat any benchmark figure as accurate at the time of publication rather than as a permanent fact.
Which AI tools do you cover?
Over 60 applications — ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Perplexity, Descript and many others — grouped by what they are for. Each page covers the features, the pricing tiers, what the tool is genuinely good at, and where it falls short. We say when a tool is weak at something; a catalogue that likes everything is useless.
What are the use-case guides?
Step-by-step guides to applying AI to one specific job: reviewing contracts, triaging support tickets, writing product descriptions, analysing financial reports, and others. Each one names the tools worth using, gives prompts you can copy, and is honest about the cost, the time it takes and the point at which a human still has to check the output.
Can I use the prompts on the site?
Yes, they are free to use and copy — most have a one-click copy button. They live inside the use-case guides and blog posts rather than in a separate library, so you will find them in the context of the job they were written for, which is usually what makes a prompt work.
Is any of it paid?
No. Every page is free to read, with no account, no paywall and no trial. Some tool pages carry affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you sign up for a tool through them — this never changes what we write about a tool, and our affiliate disclosure spells out how it works.
How often is the content updated?
The blog is updated as things happen — new model releases, research worth reading, industry news. Glossary, model and tool pages are revised when the underlying facts change, which for pricing and benchmarks is often. Every page carries a last-updated date, so you can see for yourself how fresh what you are reading is.
How accurate is it, and what if something is wrong?
We check claims against primary sources and date the pages so you can judge them. But AI moves quickly and prices, benchmarks and feature lists go stale — if a page contradicts a vendor's own documentation, believe the vendor. If you find something wrong, tell us on the contact page and we will fix it.
Still Have Questions?
Can't find what you're looking for, or spotted something that's wrong? Get in touch and we'll answer — or fix it.