When is a calculator not a calculator?

I’ve used the analogy in the past that ChatGPT will have the same impact on many different jobs as the introduction of the calculator did to finance and accounting. But in that instance the calculator was introduced as something that can carry out a very specific task.

The benefit of ChatGPT and generative AI is that it is flexible. A great way to think about ChatGPT is that it works great as a mimic. It can apply different types of intelligence depending on the problem you want it to solve. When you use a calculator you don’t start by saying, hey, I would like you to be a calculator today, but with ChatGPT we can get greater results if we get good at writing better prompts.

Here are some extra tips I’ve learned on writing prompts that give exceptional results.

1. Specify the Role

This can be seen as asking the system to put on a different hat or take on a different role. Inform ChatGPT about its expertise, the role it will play, who or what you would like the system to mimic. For example:

“Acting as a doctor, tell me the main competencies of your day to day job”.

“You are a marketing specialist, write me a set of tweets on this topic….”

2. Clearly State the Main Task

Help the system focus by outlining the primary objectives. In fact, it may even help to ask the system to list what it thinks the key points on a topic are first. This way you can either add to or refocus the output to match up with your needs. It may even help uncover something you had not even thought of otherwise.

3. Break Down the Task into Steps

Not every meal can be eaten in one bite, and not every task can be completed in one step. Identify the necessary steps to guide ChatGPT toward generating output that aligns with your vision. This provides the AI with better information to produce desired results. If it helps, ask the system to outline the steps it thinks may be required. Each step can be expanded on or worked on separately.

4. Define the Desired Goal

So what are you actually looking for? Try to be accurate. Express your intended outcome for the main task, enabling ChatGPT to structure its output accordingly. Am I looking for a piece of text, a spreadsheet, a menu. As the saying goes, ask and you shall receive

5. Establish Constraints or limitations

In the same way that you don’t let a toddler loose in a sweetshop, you can’t just let the most powerful generative AI on the market loose without setting some boundaries. Setting limitations ensures that ChatGPT's output remains within the parameters of your vision. For example, you may specify that the essay should not exceed 1000 words and should be written at a college level. We can call this step colouring within the lines. Sure you’ll get a picture without the lines, but if you define the picture you know its going to look exactly as you had wanted.?

While the steps are relatively simple I hope that some of the examples help get you in the right mindset for writing and understanding the principles of writing better prompts in ChatGPT.