Artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT and DALL-E require carefully crafted instructions called prompts to produce useful and accurate outputs. Writing effective prompts is an art that takes practice to master. This article provides examples of AI prompts across different applications to help you get started.
Writing Prompts for ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an AI system that can understand natural language prompts and provide intelligent responses. Here are some tips for writing good prompts:
- Be specific about the type of response needed – For example, “Write a 300-word blog post about prompt engineering best practices”
- Provide sufficient context and background information – Give ChatGPT the information it needs to generate an informed response
- Ask focused questions – Don’t overload the prompt with too many questions or requests
Here is an example prompt for ChatGPT:
Please write a 250-word overview of prompt engineering best practices for AI systems like yourself. Focus on providing concise explanations and actionable recommendations aimed at a beginner audience. Use bullet points and basic markdown formatting.
And here is ChatGPT’s response:
Prompt Engineering Best Practices
- Be as specific as possible – Clearly state the type of output you want the AI to generate, including length, format, tone, etc.
- Give examples – Provide the AI with 1-2 examples of the desired output to help guide its response
- Avoid ambiguity – Use direct and unambiguous language. Don’t leave room for multiple interpretations
- Check for hallucination – Review the AI’s response for factual correctness and request clarification if needed
- Iterate and refine – If the initial response isn’t satisfactory, rephrase your prompt and try again
Crafting Prompts for DALL-E
DALL-E is an AI system focused on generating images from text prompts. Here are some tips:
- Describe the subject matter – Who or what should be in the image? Be specific.
- Set the tone and style – Do you want it to be realistic, abstract, minimalist?
- Specify the medium – Should it look like a painting, drawing, 3D rendering?
- Give compositional guidelines – How should elements be arranged? Centered? Rule of thirds?
- Limit ambiguity – Have a clear vision for what you want to avoid unexpected outputs
Here’s an example DALL-E prompt:
A surreal digital illustration of a girl reading a book on a beach, trending on art station
Curating Prompts for AI Assistants
AI assistants like Claude can be customized via prompts to handle certain types of queries:
- Define the persona – Is Claude formal, casual, an expert in something?
- Establish scope – What types of questions should Claude be able to handle?
- Provide examples – Give sample queries and responses to train Claude’s behavior
- Set guidelines – Are there sensitivity rules or banned topics to define?
Here is a prompt to make Claude an HR chatbot:
You are Claude, an HR assistant at Acme Co. You have friendly and professional responses to employee questions about company policies, benefits, time-off requests, and other common HR topics. Please provide helpful information to resolve employee inquiries and escalate complex issues if needed. Here are some examples of how you can respond…
Additional Resources
For more AI prompt examples and guidance, check out these useful resources:
Conclusion
Crafting effective prompts is key to leveraging the power of AI systems. Follow the tips and examples in this guide to write better prompts tailored to your specific use case. Prompt engineering is an iterative process, so don’t be afraid to experiment and refine your prompts based on the AI’s outputs. With practice, you’ll be able to create prompts that produce truly intelligent results.