Dear AI-bby: The world has convinced me to use AI, but I don’t know if I am using it correctly. I get such different results for the question I pose, so I am not sure if I can trust the data.
—Sincerely, Lost With Prompts
Dear Lost With Prompts,
Congratulations on forging ahead and using AI to work smarter, not harder. I am happy to say you hit the nail on the head—it’s all about the prompts!
There’s an old saying: “Garbage in, garbage out.” Well, when it comes to AI prompts, that saying applies. If you ask an incomplete question, you’ll get an incomplete answer in return. I challenge you to carefully consider the information you need before forming your prompt—otherwise, you may end up with poor-quality data.
The best way to understand how prompts work is to dive in and start testing AI with a topic you already know. When starting out, remember: The more detailed your prompt or question, the better the response you’ll receive.
For example, you could ask, “What is the best area to live in Phoenix, Arizona?”
That’s a good question, but it’s too broad, so the answer will be very general. It is best to be specific about what you need. For instance, you could instead ask:
“Where is the best place to live in Phoenix, Arizona, for an empty nester who wants a peaceful and safe neighborhood, close to nightlife, where I can buy a three-bedroom home under $500,000?”
In these examples, AI gave a wide-ranging answer first and a more precise answer second when asked for property value ranges. To illustrate just how broad that first prompt answer was, look at the recent average home values according to Redfin for the two Phoenix neighborhoods provided:
- Arcadia median sale price: $1,300,000
- Biltmore median sales price: $653,250
As you can see, this could lead you down the road of looking in an area above your price range, wasting valuable time. If a relocating employee starts their search with a vague general prompt, they are likely to get back unreliable information and not what they need.
Test it out for yourself and try this exercise for the city you live in. Do you agree with the results? Was the answer accurate based on what you know? If you did not know the city well, would the response be helpful? If not, keep refining your prompts until you get the results you want.
I encourage you to dive in and keep experimenting with different prompts. Start with topics you know and evaluate the data you get back so you can begin building trust in AI. This will help you truly unleash the power of AI and make it your assistant—both at work and in life. The more you use it, the more comfortable and confident you will become.
Look at your work and daily routines and think about how AI could help you. The possibilities are endless! From gathering data about an area to creating talking points for a presentation to finding the best mushroom pasta recipe, AI is your life assistant when you need it the most.
Check out the previous Dear AI-bby article, “Dear AI-bby: Demystifying AI for Everyday Use.”