Prompt engineering 101

In the world of artificial intelligence (AI), prompt engineering is the art of communication. It’s how you give an AI the right instructions to do amazing things for you. Think of it like having a conversation with a brilliant but slightly clueless friend who’s always eager to help in any way they can.

What is a prompt?

A prompt is a set of instructions you give to an AI model. It can be a sentence, a paragraph, or even just a few words. Prompts guide the AI’s actions: what to write, what images to create, what questions to answer, and so much more.

Why do prompts matter?

The quality of your prompts directly affects the quality of the AI’s output. Let’s go back to your helpful but clueless friend. If you simply ask, “Tell me a story,” you’ll likely get a short, unstructured tale. But, if you say, “Tell me a funny story about a mischievous raccoon trying to steal cookies from a bakery,” the result will be more entertaining and focused.

Building blocks of great prompts

Here’s how to craft prompts that help your AI assistant shine:

• Be clear and specific: Avoid vague requests. The AI needs to understand exactly what you want.

  • Bad: “Information about climate change.”
  • Better: “Explain the causes of climate change in a way a middle school student can understand.”

• Embrace details: Descriptive words and phrases paint a vivid picture in the AI’s “mind.”

  • Bad: “Paint a landscape.”
  • Better: “Paint a dramatic mountain landscape at sunset with vibrant orange and purple clouds.”

• Provide examples: Show the AI what style or tone you’re looking for.

  • “Write a product description like the ones on Apple’s website.”

Real-world prompt engineering

Let’s see how better prompts work in practice:

• Problem: You need a catchy email subject line

  • Basic Prompt: “Email subject line”
  • Improved Prompt: “Write 5 attention-grabbing email subject lines for a limited-time sale on yoga classes.”

• Problem: You want to visualize a new product design

  • Basic Prompt: “Modern desk chair”
  • Improved Prompt: “A sleek, modern desk chair with ergonomic support, made of chrome and black leather.”

Start experimenting and have fun!

Prompt engineering is a skill that improves with practice. The more you play with words and refine your prompts, the more incredible results you’ll unlock. Don’t be afraid to experiment; there are countless ways to guide AI tools toward creating exactly what you have in mind.

Where to practice

Many free AI tools are available online. Here are a few popular places to start:

• Image Generators: DALL-E (https://openai.com/dall-e-2/), Midjourney (https://midjourney.com/)
• Text Generators: ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/chat), many others

The world of AI is your oyster, and prompt engineering is the key to unlocking its treasures!