Generative AI promises to make us more productive and efficient through its numerous applications. However, to achieve the desired results, it’s essential to know how to ask questions effectively. The way a question is framed greatly impacts the quality of the response provided by ChatGPT. Fortunately, you don’t need to become a “prompt engineer” to boost your productivity. Here are some tips for creating better content with generative AI.
Prompt engineering involves using prompts or questions to obtain the desired result from an AI tool. A prompt can be a sentence, a sequence of words, or even a block of computer code. The goal is to guide the AI to produce the desired result for a specific task.
1. Specify the Role ChatGPT Should Play
By specifying the role the AI should play, you will receive a response that more accurately reflects your context. See the difference in ChatGPT’s responses depending on the role it assumes.
Question 1 – Explain the solar eclipse in 40 words. Act as a teacher of a group of 5-year-old children.
ChatGPT – “A solar eclipse is like a big game of hide and seek between the sun, the moon, and the Earth. Sometimes, the moon stands in front of the sun and surprises us by making the sunlight disappear for a while.”
Question 2 – Explain the solar eclipse in 40 words. Act as a science journalist.
ChatGPT – “A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily obscuring the sunlight. It is a spectacular event where day turns to night and nature reacts to this change in light.”
2. Describe the Recipients or Target Audience
Is the content intended for an executive committee or your employees? If it’s a marketing campaign, who is your target audience? Provide specific details about your audience, such as their role, age group, or interests. Just like the previous questions, you will get very different answers depending on your specifications.
3. Describe the Desired Style or Tone
I particularly like this tip, which allows us to write anything from fun Christmas cards for our loved ones to memos worthy of the Harvard Business Review. Specifying the tone makes the message more appropriate for the context and reduces the number of corrections we need to make.
4. Provide Feedback
Just as you would give feedback to an employee to improve their performance, you can do the same with ChatGPT. Try the following formula:
I like _____________ but could you __________ (e.g., use a more formal tone, summarize your response, or use more familiar language.)
5. Interact with ChatGPT
Act as if it were a real conversation. Don’t stop at the first response. For example, you might ask it to give you more creative answers or provide ten more examples. Just like in brainstorming, the first answer isn’t necessarily the best.
6. Be Clear and Concise
Avoid technical jargon and overly long questions. If the subject is complex, try breaking it down into multiple questions. A vague or overly long question can be difficult for ChatGPT to understand, which will affect the quality of its response.
7. Ask One Question at a Time
ChatGPT – “Asking one question at a time allows ChatGPT to better understand and respond more accurately. By addressing one question at a time, I can focus fully on its content and provide a coherent and relevant answer. This also facilitates managing the conversation and allows users to get clearer and more effective responses.”
Generative AI was used for content generation for this article and was verified by a human.
Image generated with the help of AI – DALL-E
