Artificial Intelligence has been a hot topic over the past year, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT perhaps the most well-known and impressive language model. Essentially a souped-up chatbot, ChatGPT can understand complex written queries and respond with articulate conversation. And now it’s available completely free as an iOS app, opening it up to a huge new audience. So what’s the big deal?
ChatGPT is a more competent personal assistant than Siri, a helping hand for research projects, a useful tool for brainstorming ideas, and can even write working code. It’s been controversially touted as a replacement for human scriptwriters and regularly helps kids cheat with their homework. It can also, supposedly, write blogs and tutorial articles. That gives me an idea…
That’s right, I’ve asked ChatGPT itself to give you some tips for making the most of its new app. Surprisingly, they’re pretty good suggestions – I could be out of a job!
But there are limitations. Because ChatGPT’s language model is trained on data from September 2021, it has no knowledge of events after that time. As an experimental AI still in beta, it’s also prone to mistakes, so be sure to fact-check any information it gives you. For example, ChatGPT told me that its iOS app works offline, which is patently false. It also has a tendency to make up an answer that sounds right when it doesn’t know something. I don’t think it’ll be replacing me just yet.
The following is a lightly-edited response direct from ChatGPT, from my request for the “five most useful tips for writing ChatGPT prompts.”
1. Clarity is key
Provide clear and specific instructions in your prompts to help guide ChatGPT’s response. Clearly state what you want to achieve or the information you’re seeking. Avoid vague or ambiguous language that may confuse the model.
2. Give some background
Start each new prompt by setting the context for your conversation. Briefly introduce the topic, provide relevant background information, or specify the role you want the model to take. This helps ChatGPT understand the background and provide more accurate and context-aware responses.
3. Keep it simple
If you have a complex question or request, consider breaking it down into smaller, simpler parts. Presenting one idea at a time makes it easier for ChatGPT to process and respond to each component effectively. It also reduces the chances of the model getting overwhelmed or providing irrelevant answers.
4. Specify a structure
If you have a particular format or structure in mind for the response, make it explicit in your prompt. For example, if you want a step-by-step explanation, ask ChatGPT to provide a detailed breakdown of the process. If you’re looking for pros and cons, ask the model to list both sides of the argument. Providing clear guidance helps the model generate responses that align with your expectations.
5. Iterate and experiment
If you’re not satisfied with the initial response or need more information, don’t hesitate to iterate and provide additional context or clarification in subsequent user messages. ChatGPT’s responses can improve with more back-and-forth interaction. Experiment with different phrasings, approaches, or instructions to see what yields the best results.