Programmes · Unplugged · Book One
Think Without AI
The 12-Week Self-Study Course
If you were born after 2000, you have probably never spent a day without the internet. Maps, answers and now whole essays come from a machine in seconds. That is useful. But the more powerful the tool, the more it matters who is holding it.
12 weeks, one chapter each2–3 hours a weekAges 14+
This course teaches the skills earlier generations learned without trying: how to concentrate, remember, learn properly, do the math in your head, tell truth from rumour, write and speak in your own voice, make decisions, solve problems and find things out. You do it one week at a time, at your own pace, with paper and a pen.
It is built on the book Think Without AI by Islam ElHadary, founder of Hadary Institute, who grew up before the internet and now teaches artificial intelligence.
Your twelve weeks
- Week 1The Dependency AuditThe three-day tool log
- Week 2Attention and Deep FocusFocus block log
- Week 3Memory That WorksMy first memory palace
- Week 4Learning How to LearnA Cornell notes page
- Week 5Mental Math and EstimationMental math drills
- Week 6Critical ThinkingThe claim detective
- Week 7Writing in Your Own VoiceTen minutes of freewriting
- Week 8Speaking and PersuasionMy two-minute talk
- Week 9Decision-MakingMy decision matrix
- Week 10Problem-Solving and CreativityOne real problem
- Week 11Research the Old WayMy research question
- Week 12Using AI WiselyThe two-versions experiment
Then the Seven-Day Challenge, a week with no AI tools at all, and the baseline test again to see how far you have come.
How each week works
- ReadOne chapter of the book, about an hour, with a pencil in your hand.
- RecallClose the book and answer three questions from memory.
- PractiseThe week’s exercise pages in the printable workbook.
- AskInterview someone older who remembers life before the screen.
- CheckA short weekly check that saves your progress here.
What you get
- The Think Without AI Self-Study Workbook (64-page printable PDF, A4)
- Online weekly pages that track your progress, checkpoints and the Seven-Day Challenge
- The Unplugged Companion app for your phone: focus timer, memory card box, math drills (works offline)
- A certificate of completion with your before-and-after baseline score, signed by someone who remembers
The book is sold separately. The paperback and Kindle eBook are available on Amazon.
Unplugged Companion
Free for everyone. Open it on your phone and choose “Add to Home Screen”. Everything you enter stays on your phone.
Open the appWhat you get
- Twelve guided weeks, two checkpoints and the Seven-Day Challenge
- The 64-page printable workbook
- Progress saved online, on any device
- Certificate of completion
Who it is for
Students aged 14 and up, university students, and anyone who feels they hand too much of their thinking to a screen. Parents and teachers can use it with young people at home or in class. Learners under 16 should sign up with a parent or teacher.
Questions
Is this course against AI?
No. The last week is about using AI well, as a coach rather than a ghostwriter. The course makes sure you can think without it first.
Do I need the book?
Yes. Each week starts with reading a chapter of Think Without AI by Islam ElHadary. The workbook, the weekly pages here and the app follow it.
Do I need to print the workbook?
Printing is best, because the exercises are meant to be done by hand. If you cannot print, copy the pages into a notebook. Your weekly check is saved online either way.
Who is it for?
Students aged 14 and up, university students, and anyone who feels they hand too much of their thinking to a screen. Parents and teachers can use it with young people at home or in class.
How much time does it take?
About two to three hours a week for twelve weeks, plus the seven-day challenge.
Is my data in the app private?
Yes. Everything you enter in the companion app stays on your own phone. Your weekly checks on this site are visible only to you and to Hadary Institute staff.
Can I try it first?
Yes. Create a free account to do the starting point, the baseline test and the whole of Week 1 online.