🏴‍☠️ Learn AI Without Paying

You do not need to spend money to learn artificial intelligence today.

Much of the best knowledge is free, and a recent post by an AI professional shared a set of resources that proves it.

OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic publish high-quality manuals at no cost. One LinkedIn creator compiled thirteen official guides that cover everything from basic prompting to advanced video generation. Instead of relying on second-hand advice, you can learn directly from the teams who build these systems and focus on understanding how models work. Used well, this collection can replace many paid introductory courses.

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Master the Fundamentals with Official Source Material

The most reliable way to learn is by reading documentation from the engineers behind the models. The list starts with the official academies from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. OpenAI Academy helps you understand ChatGPT’s behavior, capabilities, and limits. The Gemini Guide and Anthropic Academy provide similar dives into their ecosystems, explaining the settings that shape how each model responds.

Anthropic Academy shows how Claude excels with XML tags and structured inputs. OpenAI’s guides explain how to use system-level instructions to set chatbots’ roles and tone. By going to the official source, you avoid misleading or “hallucinated” advice that circulates online and connect directly with the people designing the tools you use.

Expand Beyond Text into Video and Academia

Text generation is only one part of modern AI. This collection also includes resources for video creation and academic work. Guides for Google’s Veo and OpenAI’s Sora walk you through generative video workflows. Another resource, aimed at students and researchers, explains how to use GPT to help structure and write a thesis.

These guides show you how to go from a blank page to professional-grade output. You can turn marketing copy into storyboards, draft research sections faster, and use AI as a partner for complex, multimodal projects.

Refine Your Technique and Understand the Theory

Once you grasp the basics, the next step is avoiding common mistakes. The “7 Prompting Sins” guide helps you spot habits that lead to hallucinations or weak outputs. The “Nano Banana Guide” takes a more example-driven approach to creative prompting. For technically minded learners, there is also a research paper on prompt engineering that explains why certain patterns work better than others.

These materials cover ideas like breaking complex tasks into smaller steps and using clear, structured instructions. By engaging with them, you move from casual user to deliberate engineer, with a better mental model of how language models reason.

The Challenge of Information Overload

Thirteen free guides are valuable, but they can also be overwhelming. You cannot master all of them at once, and AI tools evolve quickly, so some details will become outdated. Treat these materials as living documents: return to them as models improve and your needs change.

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Other awesome AI guides you may enjoy

• Optimize AI Interactions: A Proven Prompt Structure

• Master AI With This Pro Roadmap

• Turn ChatGPT into a Billionaire’s Brain with Munger

• Stop writing giant prompts immediately

• Stop Letting AI Write for You: Make It Think with You

The Curated Library

Here is the breakdown of the free resources:

• OpenAI Academy: Official hub for ChatGPT prompting.

• Gemini Guide: Google’s playbook for its ecosystem.

• Anthropic Academy: Source for mastering Claude.

• How to Prompt: Simplified guide for beginners.

• 7 Prompting Sins: What not to do.

• GPT Write Your Thesis: Video guide for students.

• OpenAI Prompt Pack: Ready-to-use templates.

• Nano Banana Guide: Creative prompting techniques.

• Veo Prompting Guide: For Google’s video model.

• ChatGPT 5 Guide: References for the latest models.

• Research Paper: Deep dive into prompt engineering.

• Sora Guide: Tips for the upcoming video generator.

• Copy Paste Prompts: Shortcut for quick results.

Bookmark these, start with the academies, and then work through the specialized guides that match your goals.

Check out the full post for the links and to thank the original creator.

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