Introducing Hands-On AI with Mikah Sargent

Artificial intelligence is already part of how we work, write, create, and communicate — it's in our phones, our browsers, and our inboxes. What's much harder to find is a clear, honest answer to two questions: what do these tools actually do, and which ones are worth your time?

That's exactly what Hands-On AI, our new weekly show hosted by Mikah Sargent, is here to deliver.

Each episode takes one part of AI and makes it practical. Mikah will explain how the technology works, test the tools people are using, and show how to apply them in everyday situations.

The show's premise is simple: AI is a tool — and like any tool, what matters is what you do with it. Every episode puts these technologies in human hands and shows what they're actually good for.

That may mean learning how to get better results from ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, running a language model locally on a Mac or PC, using AI features already built into a smartphone, or testing new tools for writing, research, coding, images, audio, and video.

The goal is simple: no buzzwords and no doom — just practical help so you can use AI with more confidence and better judgment.

A Practical Approach to AI

Hands-On AI meets you wherever you are with AI — curious, skeptical, or already deep in the weeds.

If you’re still trying to understand what a large language model does, Mikah will break down the fundamentals in clear terms. If you’re already experimenting with local models, prompting, automation, or AI-assisted workflows, the show will also spend time on more advanced tools and techniques.

Episodes will cover topics including:

• AI fundamentals: How large language models work, how prompting affects results, and where these systems have limitations
• Local AI: How to run models directly on your own hardware and when local AI makes sense
• AI on mobile devices: Using Apple Intelligence, Gemini, ChatGPT, and other tools on iPhone and Android
• Generative AI tools: Testing new tools for text, images, audio, and video
• Productivity and workflows: Using AI for research, writing, coding, organization, and everyday tasks
• Privacy and safety: Understanding how AI services handle data and making informed decisions about what information to share

Questions From the Audience

Hands-On AI will also take questions from viewers and listeners.

If there’s an AI feature you don’t understand, a tool you want Mikah to test, or a workflow you’re trying to improve, send your question to handsonai@twit.tv or reach out through TWiT’s social media channels.

Your question may be answered in a future episode.

About Mikah Sargent

Mikah Sargent is a technology journalist and podcaster who has spent years explaining new technology in an accessible way without oversimplifying it.

As host of Tech News Weekly, Hands-On Tech, and iOS Today on TWiT, Mikah regularly tests new products and services, speaks with the journalists and researchers covering them, and helps audiences understand how new technology fits into their daily lives.

Hands-On AI brings that same approach to artificial intelligence, with one focused topic each week. It's an approach we've watched connect with audiences for years, and it's the right one for this moment in AI.

New episodes of Hands-On AI publish every Thursday.

Club TWiT members get every episode ad-free, plus access to the members-only Discord.