EIGHTEEN Port Stephens residents gathered at the Tomaree Library and Community Centre on Tuesday, October 20, for AI Made Easy: Plan Your Perfect Day, led by local educator Bec Smith of AI Pocket Rocket.
The free workshop was supported by Good Things Australia through Get Online Week, a national campaign helping Australians build digital confidence.
Participants ranged from first‑time users to regular AI explorers.
Together they learned a simple, repeatable recipe for asking better questions, then used AI on their own phones to plan a personalised day out, complete with a surprise secret stop.
Many were astonished to discover hidden privacy settings inside popular AI chat tools, and most had never realised these existed or understood what they do.
“The best part for me was watching people’s enthusiasm grow along with their confidence as the session progressed,” Ms Smith said.
“AI doesn’t replace the people in your life. Used well, it frees up time so you can spend more of it with them. That’s what this session was all about.”
Feedback was glowing, with participants leaving five‑star reviews.
Nigel D wrote: “Enjoyed today’s introduction to AI Bec & found it most informative.”
Ken F described it as “a very interesting and informative introduction to AI. Great presentation by Bec.”
Ms Smith thanked Good Things Australia, Tomaree Library and Community Centre, and her “fabulous tech assistant Mandi” for their support.
By Ruby van de WIIJGAAT
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