Part A made the case for habit-first, open-source AI literacy. Part B shows you how—starting with the AI safety rails we’ll use every day. Missed Part A? Read it here.
The TRUST rule (your AI safeguards)
When you leverage AI for production in the real world, run this quick checklist. It keeps you fast and safe:
- T — Task stakes & reversibility: How risky is this? If it goes wrong, can we undo it?
- R — Redundancy & triangulation: Get a second opinion (another model, a rule of thumb, or a person).
- U — Uncertainty budget: Say your wiggle room up front (e.g., “reading level may vary,” or “diameter tolerance ±0.1 mm”).
- S — Source gravity: Link to real sources—your SOPs, machine manuals, QC sheets, training docs.
- T — Tooling & governance: Who signs off? Where’s the log? How do we roll back?
If you can’t tick at least three boxes, don’t ship the change yet. Tighten it first.
A reality check: AI is uneven—strong in some tasks, weak in others. This uneven shape is the “jagged frontier” (a term introduced by Ethan Mollick, September 11, 2025). The safe way to use AI is to try, check, and learn in small steps—guided by TRUST.
The decision box (2×2) in plain words
Choose how to use AI based on stakes (low/high) and how easy it is to check the result (easy/hard):
- If the stakes are low, and it is easy to check the AI output, then let the AI draft. You sample-check
- If the stakes are low and it is hard to check the AI output: Use AI to help, but a person reviews before use.
- If high stakes + easy to check: Let AI speed you up, but someone signs off, and keep a rollback plan.
- If high stakes + hard/impossible to check: Do not rely on AI alone. Escalate to experts and add extra checks.
This is your steering wheel for everyday choices.
The engine: Ask → Act → Capture → Reuse
This simple loop turns chats into durable skills and assets:
- Ask for one specific thing, with a clear goal and output format.
- Act on the best result with a tiny, safe trial.
- Capture what you tried (prompt, result, sources, what worked).
- Reuse high-scoring bits next time.
No new platform required. A browser, a document, and a small spreadsheet are enough.
A quick story (no command line, no problem)
Meet Ben. He owns a small lathe machine shop. He wants to onboard a mechanical engineering intern. Ben tried the AI Learner’s Journal (a free public repository on GitHub) and froze at “Quick Start” section of the README.txt file under the “main” tab. He thought he had to learn the command line first. He almost quit.
Here’s how Ben learned without any “power tools” after downloading the free app:
Ask → Act → Capture → Reuse (browser-only)
- Ask: In a chat window, Ben writes:
“Goal: draft a 5-step onboarding plan for a mechanical engineering intern in a lathe shop. Constraints: safety first; short; printable. Include: PPE checklist; shop rules; quick intro to the lathe; hands-on measuring practice (calipers + micrometer); a simple test part with ±0.1 mm tolerance. Output: numbered list.” - Act: He picks the best draft and pastes it into Google Docs. He adds his shop’s safety rules, a link to the lathe manual, and the QC sheet for the test part.
- Capture: He opens the Journal (PDF or Google Doc), saves the prompt and result, adds 3 tags (onboarding; safety; lathe), and logs one row in the Google Sheet: reuse_score: 4, next_action: “Trial on Monday with Intern A.”
- Reuse: Friday, he checks results: Did the intern pass PPE, rules, measuring practice, and the test part? If yes, he keeps the plan; if not, he edits and tries again next week.
TRUST (guarding against possible AI biases, hallucinations, etc):
- T stakes? High for safety; make changes reversible (training before live jobs).
- R second opinion? Compare with official SOPs and the lathe manual; ask a senior machinist to review.
- U wiggle room? Set clear tolerances (e.g., “±0.1 mm on the test part”).
- S sources? Link SOP #S-01, Lathe-Manual-p.12, QC-Sheet-T-Part-v2.
- T sign-off? Owner or foreman initials; keep a training log.
When did Ben feel the need to touch the command line? Two weeks later, after he got tired of repetitive copy-pasting. He then tried the optional Pro Scripts to save time. Until then, he was already succeeding with browser-only tools while improving his overall AI literacy.
Bottom line: You do not need shell scripting wizardry to start. Master the habit first; upgrade tools only if your workflow asks for them.
A simple 7-day starter plan for a small lathe machine shop (browser-only)
- Mon: Pick one pain point (e.g., “setup takes too long for repeat milling jobs”).
- Tue: Ask for a 5-step improvement plan (include: fixture checklist, tool list, order of operations). Try one safe change on a scrap test.
- Wed: Capture a short note + one Sheet row. Attach sources (SOP page; tool list).
- Thu: Repeat with a tiny tweak (e.g., better tool labeling or a revised order of cuts).
- Fri: Reuse what scored 4 or 5. Save a one-page SOP for that job.
- Sat: Share one lesson with the team (five minutes, shop floor).
- Sun: Rest. You’ve earned it!
Next week, pick a new target: scrap rate, tool wear, or first-article inspection time.
FAQ
Do I need the command line?
No. Start with a browser, Docs, and the Google Sheet. Add the Pro Scripts only if repeating the same steps becomes annoying.
What about safety?
Safety beats speed. Use AI to draft training and checklists, but your shop’s safety rules and manuals rule. High-stakes changes need human sign-off and an explicit rollback.
How do I keep improving?
End every note with: “One thing I’ll reuse next time is…” That sentence is your engine.
What’s next — Part C (coming up)
In Part C, you’ll get the hands-on pieces:
- A tiny journal example you can copy and paste (with a matching spreadsheet row).
- A printable One-minute TRUST checklist for your desk or control room.
- “What’s in the kit” with live links once they’re ready: Starter Pack, Prompt Pack, Pro Scripts (optional), Visual Pack, Workshop, and Sponsor.
- Quick instructions to swap the links and publish.
Until then, keep it simple: TRUST first, one tiny loop a day, no command line required.
