The trick to writing ChatGPT prompts is similar to GIGO, an acronym used in 1957 that means “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” It is a term explained by U.S. Army’s William Mellin to a newspaper reporter that computers were limited by their input.
No matter how good the prompts you craft, there’s always a chance that AI bots like ChatGPT will provide irrelevant answers or it will make stuff up – hence, the prompts may be both garbage in and garbage out. You need prompts that ensure a better outcome.
Here are the ways how to write better ChatGPT Prompts:
Talk to ChatGPT like a Person
Using ChatGPT requires that you talk to it like a person. It’s as if you are having a normal conversation with a co-worker or an acquaintance. You can include some conversation details, like anecdotes to give your story some texture.
Naturally, someone will miss your point and ask for clarification when talking to them. It is also natural that someone will have the conversation drift off-topic, ask intricate questions, and rephrase questions. These are natural aspects of human conversation, and this is how you should talk to ChatGPT. It would go something like this:
Basic Prompt
Create more texture from this basic prompt by adding a few pieces of information about yourself so ChatGPT can gauge your level of understanding.
Better Prompt
Offer Context
AI provides better responses when you give it context. Providing context helps focus ChatGPT on how to communicate better. Including some context will also help ChatGPT to create a more specific response and it will be more helpful for you.
Basic Prompt
The basic prompt above is a generic question, and you may get generic answers. Write a nuanced question instead so ChatGPT can give you more specific answers.
Better Prompt
Tell ChatGPT to Act as a Professional
You can request ChatGPT to write its response from the point of view of a specific profession or identity. This way, you will understand how each profession or identity explains something. Here are some example prompts you can use:
- “Describe the features of the iPhone 14 Pro Max from the point of view of a product manager.”
- “Act as an economist and write about the effects of climate change on the economy and commerce.”
Tell the Length of the Response
It’s helpful for ChatGPT to provide a word count for its response. When creating your ChatGPT prompt, you can mention that you want a 500-word or 300-word response. This is helpful if you want to summarize an article or a lengthy paragraph.
Basic Prompt
Add the length of the response ChatGPT will limit. You may also use less precise terms like “short” or “long.”
Better Prompt
Other Tips
Here are other prompt-writing tips you can do. These may be minimal changes, but they will significantly create different and maybe even better responses.
- Re-ask the question until ChatGPT can give you a more accurate response.
- Opening a new page will start your conversation with ChatGPT with new and fresh responses.
- Correct and clarify prompts based on how ChatGPT answered previously.
- ChatGPT recalls the previous conversation as long as the current chat is open.
- Rephrase questions until you get the answer you’re looking for.
- You can tell ChatGPT to support or justify its answer if you want sources cited in its response.
Prompts that Work Best with ChatGPT
ChatGPT is one of the most versatile AI bots created today, as you can provide open-ended prompts. However, keep in mind that it is designed to give written answers only and it does not have access to the Internet. Also, remember that ChatGPT’s information is only limited up to 2021.
Ask Google if you want to be given a list of websites or updated events. Talk to Wolfram Alpha if you want forms of computations.
ChatGPT Not Providing Answers
There are some instances that ChatGPT is not allowed or prohibited from answering, as this is what’s built into the system. For instance, it refuses to answer when the question concerns politics, dark humor, or even not-safe-for-work (NSFW) content.
You may be able to tease an answer, but it would not give you quality ones. However, you may ask questions with a different phrasing or from a different perspective.
Takeaway
Writing better ChatGPT prompts is crucial to improving your chatbot conversations. By crafting engaging, natural-sounding prompts that encourage dialogue and build rapport, you can create a more positive user experience. Try these tips using ChatGPT and see the difference for yourself.
Sources:
zdnet.com
zapier.com
