4 Advanced Prompting Tips When Using AI at Work
We are all aware of the transformative power of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and their potential impact on our daily productivity. While many tips focus on getting started with AI, such as learning to write specific prompts and iterating your answers, this article will focus on a collection of great tips I’ve received from friends and colleagues on how to take your AI use to the next level.
Tip 1: Fine Tune Your AI
As noted in ChatGPT's user guide, one effective way to get more relevant and accurate answers is to assign a persona to the AI and give it instructions on how to give the best answer. For instance, let’s say you’re debugging at some code in SQL you might type:
You are an expert programmer in SQL and for the following responses will give rationale and examples for the issues in the code. Please debug the following code: [Insert code here]
Using personas helps the AI generate responses that match the specific language, style, and depth of expertise you're seeking.
You can also use personas to gain insights from an expert perspective you might not have considered. Below you can find some example prompts:
Expert Excel Tutor: "You are an expert Excel tutor. Can you explain how to create a pivot table?"
Friendly Travel Guide: "You are a friendly travel guide. What are the must-see attractions in Paris?"
Experienced Legal Advisor: "You are an experienced legal advisor. What are the key considerations when drafting a non-disclosure agreement?"
Tip 2: Utilizing Tables and Lists
One of the significant advantages of modern generative AIs is their ability to search documents and the internet for sources. As we conduct research, we often create lists manually, but AIs can simplify this task. You can ask an AI to generate the table you need, then edit it before pasting it into a program such as Excel.
For example, let’s say you’re doing research on supermarkets in Fulton County in New York. You could prompt ChatGPT to create a table listing supermarkets by size and address with the following prompt.
I am interested in finding information on Supermarkets in Fulton County in New York State. Generate a table which contains the name of the supermarket, and a second column with address of the store
After generating the table you can then use the AI to further adjust the table to your liking. For example, you can move the columns around or add additional information.
Currently the easiest way to export tables from ChatGPT is to highlight the contents of the table and paste directly into Excel or google sheets (For larger tables, it can be useful to use the small copy button under the response). Once pasted, re-copy the newly formatted table to your end program such as email, Word, PowerPoint, etc.
Tip 3: Error Checking
Generative AIs are known for occasionally producing incorrect or nonsensical information, often referred to as "hallucinations." While it’s essential to double-check AI-generated content, you can streamline this process by having the AI assist with error checking.
For example, to help verify the addresses in the table example you can ask the following prompt.
Please add an additional column with a link to google maps for each of the addresses listed
Another approach is to ask the AI about its confidence level in its responses and the reasons behind it. This can help you identify which parts of the answer are well-supported and which may require closer scrutiny.
Please rate your confidence of this answer, and provide rationale about where you could improve the accuracy
Tip 4: Exploring Different AI Tools
While many people use ChatGPT, there is a wide array of AI tools available, each with unique capabilities suited to different tasks.
For example, some AI tools are better suited for scientific research and sourcing, while others excel in different areas like financial analysis or creative writing. Below is a list of some additional AI tools:
Perplexity.ai - Great for research and strong sourcing of information
WriteSonic - Excellent copywriting and SEO
Google Gemini - Excels at searching the web and creative writing
These tips only scratch the surface of how AI can be used to boost your productivity. I’d love to hear your own AI tips and tricks, so please send a message sharing some unconventional ways you use generative AI tools!