Your First AI Assistant: Up and Running in 2 Hours

Many SMEs are hearing about AI everywhere. But when it comes to actually using it, things often feel unclear. Which tools should you use? How does it actually help your business? And where do you even start without wasting time or money?

This workshop is designed to cut through that confusion. It’s practical, beginner-friendly, and focused on helping you start using AI straight away, not just learning about it, but applying it in your real day-to-day work.

In just two hours, you’ll explore how to choose the right AI tools, understand how they work in simple terms, and begin building your own personalised AI assistant that fits your business needs.

By the end of the session, you won’t just understand AI. You will already be using it to draft emails, respond to customers, and support your daily operations with more ease.

What You Will Learn

• Get to know the main tools out there
  Get familiar with platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, and understand when to use each.

• Choose what actually fits your needs
  Instead of trying everything, you will learn a simple way to pick the right tools based on what you need, whether it’s for content, operations, or analysis.

• Give clearer instructions, get better results
  You will see how small changes in how you ask or write instructions can make a big difference in the output you get.

• Set everything up for real use
  By the end, your tools will be ready to go, so you can keep using them smoothly after the session.
  

Who Is This Workshop For?

• Beginners: You are curious but unsure where to start and what is actually useful.

• SME owners & operators: You handle many roles and need faster, more efficient ways to run daily operations.

• Professionals with repetitive tasks: Your time is spent on emails, reports, and routine work, and you want a smarter way to handle them.

• Teams exploring new ways of working: You are open to trying new tools but need clear, practical guidance to get started
  

What to Bring

• Laptop

• Email or Google account

• Real work examples
  

Outputs

• Personalised AI assistant setup

• 5-10 reusable prompts

• Immediate productivity improvements
  

About the AI for SMEs Workshop Series

This workshop is part of the AI for SMEs Series, a step-by-step program that helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt AI practically, at scale, and sustainably. 

Powered by a strong collaboration between Platform, WA AI Hub, and CX Insight, It combines technology, real-world implementation, and business strategy in one complete learning experience.

Instead of just learning concepts, participants get hands-on guidance, proven use cases, and direct insights from practitioners. This ensures that AI is not only understood but also applied effectively in everyday business operations.

Workshop Flow:

1. Your First AI Assistant ← You Are Here: You are starting your journey by building a strong foundation and achieving quick wins.

2. Talk to AI Like a Pro

3. AI Health Check

4. AI Marketing on a Shoestring

5. AI Workflows & Automation

6. AI Safety & Responsibility

7. AI Service Desk

8. AI-Powered Insights