CHAPTER 3
It's all about the prompts

My colleague Sophie has always been fascinated by the French language. When I worked with her, she was not only fluent, but she also sounded like she had been born and raised in France.

She told me she had taken a few classes in high school, but they never stuck. At college, she decided to major in French, but found herself still struggling to master the language. No matter how much she studied and practised, she couldn't seem to make progress, which she found demoralising and almost led to her giving up.

It wasn't until her second year that she discovered the key to unlocking French. She had been struggling with a particularly difficult passage from a novel, and had been translating every word separately. Frustrated, she took a break and decided to read the passage out loud, without trying to translate every word.

To her surprise, she found that she could understand the passage much more easily when she stopped focusing on the individual words and instead focused on the overall meaning. She realised that to truly understand a language, she had to learn to think in that language, rather than constantly translating everything back to her native language.

If you're looking to get the most out of ChatGPT, you've got to know a thing or two about the language it speaks. You also have to learn to think a bit differently to how you engage with search engines like Google.

Compared to ChatGPT, using Google is a bit like laboriously translating every word discretely, like Sophie was doing. ChatGPT is an amazing tool that can generate all sorts of responses, but to get the best possible results, you need to know how to ask for what you want.

And the way you do that is with prompts.

Prompts are the key to unlocking the power of ChatGPT, and will save you hundreds of hours otherwise spent trawling search engine results, experiencing false starts and agonising over where to begin.

What exactly is a prompt?

A prompt is basically the info you give to ChatGPT to receive a response. It's kind of like when you ask Google a question: the more specific and detailed your query, the better the results you'll get. With ChatGPT, the better your prompt, the better the outcome.

What makes a good prompt?

A good prompt is clear, specific and engaging. If you give ChatGPT a great prompt, it can understand exactly what you're looking for, and that means you'll get more personalised and useful responses, saving you time, energy and effort.

In my experience, the more I can give it, the better it gets. As figure 3.1 (overleaf) illustrates, I try to include things like:

  • Perspective: The situation or environment you are in; for example, tell ChatGPT a little about what you are doing and why.
  • Purpose: The specific goal of the conversation. For example, the purpose of a conversation with ChatGPT could be to ask for information, get a recommendation, or simply have a casual conversation. Or you could ask it to write something positive or critical or from a balanced perspective.
  • Personality: The tone and style of the conversation. This could include the use of humour, empathy or other emotional elements to make the conversation more engaging and human-like. For example, you can tell it how you want it to respond, such as chatty, conversational, formal or even imitating a person like Oprah or Homer Simpson.

Think of it as though you're speaking the language that ChatGPT understands and the points here are the syntax. It's an incredible tool, but it can't read your mind (not yet at least) — it needs specific information in order to provide the best possible response. So, give it a clear and concise prompt, and it'll work its magic for you.

Schematic illustration of perspective, purpose, and personality.

Figure 3.1: What makes a good prompt?

For example, if you want some healthy breakfast ideas, a prompt like, ‘We are a family of five with three kids under 12 who are always in a rush in the morning. Give me some easy and healthy breakfast recipes that I can make in ten minutes’, is much better than a generic prompt like ‘healthy breakfast ideas’, which is more what you would do for a Google search.

The more specific and detailed your prompt, the more likely it is that ChatGPT will provide you with the results you're looking for.

A colleague of mine uses ChatGPT to correct her spelling, grammar and style, something she was always worried about when writing emails or articles.

Example prompt:  Correct the following passage in terms of style, spelling and grammar, which is intended to be sent to the CEO of a retail chain of stores with a view to setting up a meeting with them.

Clever, eh?

The better your prompts, the more complete and applicable the results will be. Don't forget the old adage, ‘rubbish in, rubbish out’. It applies here too.

I've had a few people say to me, ‘I tried ChatGPT, and the result was rubbish! I could have written it better myself!’

To address the first point, crafting prompts takes practice. If you did it once, got a rubbish response and then threw your hands in the air and walked away, then of course you are not going to get a great result. This is no different to learning any new skill. I remember the first time I tried to use PowerPoint. Coming from a word-processing background (showing my age here), I couldn't make sense of it. I didn't give up though and now I am a PowerPoint pro.

When it comes to creating prompts, I use the word ‘craft’ specifically, because constructing a prompt can be a bit of an art and the better you get at it, the more time you will save and, frankly, the more fun you will have.

As to the second objection: if you can write better yourself, then go ahead and write better yourself.

Don't overload ChatGPT with unnecessary details.

You want to give it enough information to understand what you're looking for, but you don't want to confuse it with too much info. A prompt that is too complex can lead to less effective responses, while a prompt that's too vague can result in generic and unhelpful responses. Finding the right balance is key.

For example, here is a prompt that is too complex: Given the current political climate and social unrest in various regions of the world, including economic instability, climate change and human rights violations, how can governments and international organisations work together to address these complex and interconnected issues while also balancing competing interests and values, such as sovereignty, security, democracy and human dignity?

And here is one that is too vague: What are your thoughts on the current world situation?

Having said that, I have been able to copy and paste large chunks of text into ChatGPT to get the result I'm looking for. For example:

Example prompt:  I'm doing a presentation at a board meeting [perspective] where I need to positively influence the board about the topic [purpose]. Summarise the following down to no more than four bullet points in a professional but engaging style [personality]. [Then paste the copy you want summarised.]

Different types of prompts can lead to different types of responses

Open-ended prompts can lead to more creative and imaginative responses, while more specific prompts can provide you with more concrete information or data. So go ahead and experiment with different types of prompts to discover what works best for you and your needs.

There are potentially hundreds of different types of prompts you can use with ChatGPT (or any other AI tool). Right now, people are selling ‘50 ChatGPT prompts for marketers’ for $47 all over the internet and, while I applaud their ingenuity, you don't need anything near that to get going.

Here are a few different types of prompts to help get you started (see figure 3.2, overleaf).

Schematic illustration of different types of prompts.

Figure 3.2: Different types of prompts

EXPLORATORY PROMPTS

These are like asking broad open questions and are perfect for exploring a wide range of ideas and opinions. Responses can be insightful, creative and thought-provoking. For example:

  • What are your thoughts on the role of AI in addressing climate change?
  • What's the best way to use ChatGPT to come up with creative ideas?
  • What are some fun games I can play with ChatGPT?

CUSTOMISED PROMPTS

These are a bit like ‘fill in the blanks’, and they allow you to input specific information into a sentence or question, tailoring the response to your particular needs. For example:

  • Can you provide me with a list of [books, movies, songs] that are great for improving mental health?
  • Can you suggest some [recipes, ingredients, dishes] that are good for a plant-based diet?
  • What are some [exercises, stretches, yoga poses] that can help relieve lower back pain?

CONTEXT PROMPTS

These provide contextual descriptions and are useful when you're facing a difficult or complex situation and need some guidance. Responses are often in the form of practical advice and solutions. For example:

  • I have to give a presentation on a topic I don't know much about. How can I prepare for it?
  • I have a difficult conversation coming up with my boss. What are some strategies to approach it effectively?
  • I want to start a new business, but I'm not sure which direction to take. Can you provide some ideas and suggestions?

STEP-BY-STEP PROMPTS

These are great for providing clear and concise instructions on how to perform a particular task or achieve a specific goal. For example:

  • What are the steps to creating a successful social media marketing campaign for a new liquid soap?
  • What are the steps to make a homemade pepperoni pizza?
  • What are the steps to troubleshoot a computer that won't turn on?

EVALUATION PROMPTS

These are useful when you want to get an objective and data-driven perspective on something. Typically, responses will provide constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement. For example:

  • I need to write an email that is empathetic because of its sensitive nature. Can you provide feedback on the style and approach?
  • I have been trying to improve my writing skills. Can you provide feedback on my grammar and sentence structure?
  • I have launched a new product on my website. Can you give me feedback on the product description?

FOLLOW-UP PROMPTS

These are questions that you ask ChatGPT in response to its initial answer in order to get more information, dig deeper or clarify something. They can be a helpful way to get even more useful responses from ChatGPT. For example:

Example prompt:  Please provide me with some healthy breakfast ideas

ChatGPT:  How about some oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts?

Follow up prompt:  Can you give me some more specific ideas for oatmeal toppings?

Example prompt:  Can I have some writing prompts for a fiction story?

ChatGPT:  How about writing a story about a detective solving a mystery?

Follow up prompt:  Do you have any tips for creating a compelling detective character?

Example prompt:  Can I have some ideas for some travel recommendations?

ChatGPT:  How about visiting Paris?

Follow up prompt:  What are some must-see sights in Paris?

A colleague used the exact travel example here by asking it for a three-day itinerary in Paris that included patisseries, museums and parks. Then (because its suggestions were scattered all over the city), they followed up by asking it to rework the itinerary so that the activities for each day were located closer together physically.

‘Funnily enough, one of the days it gave me was an exact day of activities I did on a previous trip to Paris,’ she told me.

Then she went down the rabbit hole and started asking very specific details; for example, ‘stores selling trendy clothing for women in their thirties’, followed up with, ‘some more affordable options’, and then, ‘sustainable brands I can shop in Paris’.

Voice to text

Voice-to-text apps use speech recognition technology to transcribe spoken words into written text. You might have used a voice-to-text app before to send a text message or write an email hands-free.

So, how can you use a voice-to-text app to create prompts for ChatGPT? Here's one way:

  1. Open up your favourite voice-to-text app and start recording. If you don't have a favourite, I use Notes on my iPhone, and Otter.ai is another favourite among colleagues. You'll find numerous options by searching your relevant app store.
  2. Say a prompt that you'd like to use for ChatGPT; for example, you might say, ‘I want ChatGPT to generate an email to plan an upcoming social club event [describe event]’.
  3. Stop the recording and let the app transcribe your words into text.
  4. Copy the text and paste it as a prompt for ChatGPT.

One thing to keep in mind is that voice-to-text apps aren't always 100 per cent accurate. Depending on your accent, speaking style, and background noise, the transcription might contain errors or misunderstandings. When you use a voice-to-text app to create prompts for ChatGPT, be sure to read over the text and make any necessary corrections before using it as a prompt.

Voice-to-text apps to create prompts for ChatGPT can be a convenient and efficient way to generate new text, particularly if you find riffing on a topic easier than typing about it. I have a friend who doesn't trust her spelling or vocabulary for typing, so she uses voice to text all the time to get the first draft of anything, including prompts, out of her head and onto the page.

There's no longer such a thing as writer's block

Writer's block doesn't happen only to professional writers. It can be a real obstacle for anyone who has to make a start on a presentation, proposal, email or article, leaving them feeling frustrated and demotivated. But with ChatGPT, we now have a powerful tool that can help us overcome this challenge.

In 2014 Dr Jason Fox wrote a book called The Game Changers, where he described progress as being a key motivator for humans to get things done. So, it stands to reason that being stuck, or not making progress, can be very demotivating.

With ChatGPT, you can simply provide a prompt, and it can help generate ideas and kickstart the creative process.

It also helps with the writing process itself, from providing synonyms and antonyms to helping you with sentence structure and grammar.

For many of us, all it takes is a little nudge to get the words flowing, and ChatGPT is here to provide just that.

For instance, let's say you're struggling to come up with an idea for a blog post. You can ask ChatGPT for suggestions, and it will provide you with a range of topics to choose from, based on its vast knowledge base. From there, it can offer guidance on how to approach the topic, what angle to take and even provide some research to support your writing. (As I mentioned in Chapter 2, we still need to double-check any references, citations or sources for accuracy.)

Here's what happened when I did this very thing:

Example prompt:  Give me three ideas for blog topics in the area of using technology to help you have the space and capacity for more value-added activities or leisure time. (By the way, I love that you don't always have to be grammatically correct or even the best speller.)

ChatGPT:

  1. 5 Tech Tools to Automate Your Daily Tasks and Free Up More Time
  2. How to Use Time-Tracking Apps to Boost Your Productivity
  3. Mindfulness in the Digital Age: How to Stay Focused and Productive

Follow up prompt:  Write a short, 150-word blog for number 3 above.

ChatGPT:  Mindfulness in the Digital Age: How to Stay Focused and Productive

In the digital age, constant distractions can hinder focus and productivity. Mindfulness helps stay centred amidst digital stimuli. Here are some tips for practicing mindfulness in the digital age:

  • Take breaks to disconnect - Set aside time each day to disconnect from your devices and the digital world.
  • Practice deep breathing - Take a few deep breaths before responding to emails or starting a new task, and throughout the day.
  • Use mindfulness apps - There are many apps available that can help you develop mindfulness skills.
  • Practice mindful multitasking - Be fully present and engaged in each task.
  • Take breaks to move - Try taking a short walk, doing some stretching exercises, or practicing yoga during your breaks.

By practicing mindfulness in the digital age, you can stay focused and productive, even in the face of constant distractions.

Okay, so it's actually 138 words and definitely needs work, but 80 per cent of the work is done.

It's like I turned to my intern or assistant and said, ‘Give me ten ideas of blog topics in the area of using technology to help you have the space and capacity for more value-added activities, or leisure time. And then pick one and do a bit of research for me to review.’

In the past, that might have taken a person several hours; now, it's a matter of minutes.

So far, ChatGPT has not been able to produce anything that I could directly copy and paste to a blog, article or chapter in a book. Everything has needed human intervention from tweaking to complete rewriting. But the time it takes to produce the list, and the first blog, has been dramatically reduced, leaving me to do other things or even take some much needed time out.

Get your ChatGPT radar tuned in

I have begun to notice some clues as to whether someone has used AI to produce blogs or articles and published without human intervention.

  • Use of the word ‘crucial’. For a while there every paragraph started with, ‘When it comes to being productive, it's crucial …’ Eventually I told it to stop using the word ‘crucial’, so it replaced it with ‘critical’.
  • Overuse of the original prompt at the beginning of every paragraph. For example, if the prompt was ‘Give me five tips on being more productive’, each paragraph would start with, ‘Another way to be more productive is …’

Other things to watch out for:

  • Lack of human touch: The text often lacks the human touch that comes with lived experiences, emotions and creative thinking. It's like, ‘just the facts thanks, ma'am’.
  • Lack of empathy and understanding: AI is not (yet) able to fully grasp the context, emotions and cultural nuances required for effective communication. This can lead to writing that lacks empathy, sensitivity or understanding of human experiences.
  • Limited creativity: AI generates text based on pre-existing patterns and data, so it isn't always able to generate truly creative or original ideas. The responses tend to lack the spontaneous and serendipitous nature of human creativity.
  • Technical glitches: Repeated words or strange sentence structures can be a dead giveaway that the piece was generated by AI.
  • No stories or anecdotes.

Here's a direct and unedited lift from ChatGPT on the topic of the benefits of traffic police in a large city.

Example prompt:  What are three benefits of traffic police in a large city?

ChatGPT:  The benefits of traffic police in a large city are numerous, including:

  1. Promoting road safety: Traffic police help ensure the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on busy roads by enforcing traffic laws and regulations. They monitor traffic flow and help prevent accidents by directing traffic and identifying potential hazards.
  2. Managing traffic flow: Traffic police help to manage traffic flow during rush hour or peak traffic times by directing vehicles through busy intersections, ensuring that traffic moves smoothly and safely.
  3. Providing assistance: Traffic police provide assistance to drivers and pedestrians who may be in need of help, such as providing directions, changing a flat tire, or helping a stranded motorist.

Overall, the presence of traffic police in a large city can help to promote road safety, manage traffic flow, and provide assistance to those in need.

Firstly, I fully support having traffic police in large cities. I'm sharing this example to illustrate that while it's a time saver, there's no doubt we still need human intervention to write engaging, thoughtful and inspiring content. I believe you can spot the dehumanised AI a mile off by noticing:

  • Each bullet point description starting with ‘Traffic police’.
  • The summary at the end just repeating the three key points.
  • I'm not sure of the accuracy of point 3.
  • And it just feels like it's missing something.

What was the giveaway for you?

What about being polite to ChatGPT?

I have found myself saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ constantly to ChatGPT. For example:

Example prompt:  Please provide examples of cuisines found in Northern Europe.

Then when it answers, and I need more info, I then type:

Follow up prompt:  Thank you. Can you now please limit it to Germany, Norway and Denmark?

Turns out I'm not the only one. My daughter suggested that she does it because ‘when the robots take over the world, I want them to remember that I was nice to them’.

Multiple discussions on Reddit and Twitter have found users of ChatGPT are also asking these somewhat philosophical questions: ‘Does anyone else feel obligated to be polite to ChatGPT when asking questions?’ one user asked. ‘Maybe it's my old-school upbringing, but I just feel bad if I don't use “please” and “thank you” or other polite ways of framing my questions/prompts.’

This particular post ended up with 350 responses from users, most of whom said that they are polite to ChatGPT.

‘I literally said to it the other day, “Hi, I need some help with calculus, please”’, another user responded.

A Twitter survey found that over 65 per cent of users found it difficult to be rude to bots like ChatGPT.

In the end, it seems that politeness says more about the human using the bot, than the bot itself, and it could be my imagination, but I have found that when I ask politely, ChatGPT is polite back to me starting responses with, ‘Certainly!’ or ‘No problem!’

So, there you have it. Prompts are a crucial part of using ChatGPT effectively. By providing clear, specific and engaging prompts, you can unlock ChatGPT's incredible potential and get the most out of this remarkable tool.

Oh, and this prompt thing? It's true for any AI or ML application. The output is always based on the quality of the prompt.