AI has come a long way, especially when it comes to chatbots. There was once a time when ChatGPT could only handle a short and simple prompt. But now, you can pack pages of information into a query, loading the system with facts, figures and tricks.
This has led to the rise of ‘prompt engineering.’ This is essentially the skill of writing your AI prompts in a way that best leads the system. This can involve giving ChatGPT a role, along with a long list of instructions, or in some cases, a step-by-step guide to everything you want the model to consider.
The problem with these is that they are really time-consuming. Writing these prompts can take a while, and even knowing what exactly to say isn’t exactly easy either.
The expert route
Prompt:
Analyze my request and immediately adopt the persona of a world-class expert in that specific field. Before answering, pause to think step-by-step about the optimal solution. If my query is ambiguous, ask one clarifying question before proceeding. Otherwise, provide the best possible solution immediately.
This works in a pretty universal sense. The aim of this prompt is to prime ChatGPT for whatever request will come next. It improves the overall performance of the AI tool, no matter what you are after.
For example, if you want to edit your writing, come up with a report for work, or simply analyze a new topic for a school report. ChatGPT will go into this task set-up and ready thanks to the original prompt.
Think of this as a pre-briefing, designed to reduce how long you have to go back and forth.
The tiered approach
Prompt:
Give me three tiers of guidance on [Required task]: a one-sentence tip, a medium explanation and a step-by-step plan
If ChatGPT isn’t given enough detail on the type of response you want, it will typically generate a long report or big block of text to answer your query.
Sometimes, to avoid having to re-ask questions, you can ask it to generate all the versions you want upfront.
This kind of prompt is great for when you’re trying to learn about a new subject. Here, ChatGPT will output all three versions, offering guidance in increasing lengths.
It’s not a long or overly complicated prompt, but it is one that has a tendency to generate useful responses.
The reverse engineering approach
Prompt:
Here are two [insert content] that I like. Identify common themes and help me come up with/find new versions of it
This is a prompt that can be used for a huge variety of occasions. It could help you find new clothes that you like, identify types of TV shows you’re fond of, or it could even be used to come up with new titles for a book you’re working on.
It is a simple way to skip hours of research. Where you could spend hours trying to find similarities between your preferences on a topic, ChatGPT can simply reverse engineer your interests to find new options.
Ask me questions
Prompt:
I want to [insert task] but I don’t know know the details of what I want. Ask me questions until you know the answer
I often find myself knowing roughly an outcome that I want, but not entirely sure on the steps to get there, this prompt can help with that.
For example, “I want buy a new TV, but I don’t know the details of what I want. Ask me questions until you know the answer”. When I ask ChatGPT this, it asks me about the size of the room the TVs going in, my budget, what I use it for and more.
It’s basically like turning your ChatGPT into a sales person or advisor, except they’re not trying to push you to the product that they’re getting commission on.
I’ve used this prompt to help make purchasing decisions, decide on ideas for presents, and even how to decorate a room.
Break it, fix it, upgrade it
Prompt:
Here’s my idea for [insert idea]. Break it, fix it and then upgrade it
This sounds like a weird prompt, but it is simple and generates great results. No matter what your plan for something is, it might have holes in it.
ChatGPT can help you identify the holes and rework your ideas to avoid the problems. That could be your plan for a party, a report your working on or a new business scheme.
This is a good place to start from, identifying problems and offering upgrades, but it doesn’t require long-winded prompts and lots of back and forth.
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