[Colorado-Talk] Prompt engineering: How to get the most out of your AI

[bboyer202 at gmail.com]

Prompt Engineering: How to Get the Most Out of Your AI

Introduction

Prompt engineering sounds fancy, and sometimes it can be, but it can also be
extremely helpful if you know how to talk to your AI. You could spend all
day just asking questions, or you could spend minutes asking the right
questions. Here's some background on how AI processes your data and what you
can do to get the right information out of your AI.

What Is Prompt Engineering?

At its core, prompt engineering is the practice of crafting clear, precise,
and structured inputs to get the best possible responses from an AI system.
Think of it like giving instructions to a chef-if you're vague, you might
get something edible, but if you're specific, you get exactly what you want.

How AI Understands Your Prompts

. Context Matters: The more relevant details you provide, the better the AI
can tailor its response.

. Structure Improves Accuracy: A well-organized prompt increases the
likelihood of getting useful results.

. Constraints Guide the Output: If you specify format, length, or style, the
AI adjusts its response accordingly.

How to Write Better Prompts

1. Be Clear and Specific

Instead of: Tell me about space travel.

Try: Summarize the key milestones in human space travel since 1960.

2. Provide Context

Instead of: Give me marketing ideas.

Try: Suggest five creative marketing strategies for a small, online bakery
that specializes in gluten-free desserts.

3. Use Constraints and Formatting

Instead of: Help me write an email.

Try: Draft a professional email to a client informing them of a delayed
shipment. Keep it under 150 words.

Advanced Prompting Techniques

1. Role-Playing Prompts

Make the AI take on a persona or expertise level.

Act as a professional resume writer. Rewrite my resume summary to make it
more engaging.

2. Chain of Thought Prompting

Encourage step-by-step reasoning.

Explain how inflation works step by step, as if teaching a high school
student.

3. Multi-Step Prompts

Break down requests for complex tasks.

First, summarize the causes of the Great Depression in three sentences.
Then, list five major consequences.

4. Comparative Prompts

Ask the AI to compare two things to understand nuances.

Compare capitalism and socialism in terms of economic efficiency and social
equity.

5. Example-Based Prompting

Provide a sample to guide the response.

Write a product description for a smartwatch similar in tone to this one:
[Insert example].

6. Reverse Engineering Prompts

Instead of asking for an answer, ask AI how it would generate one.

If I wanted to write a viral social media post about eco-friendly living,
what structure and key elements should I include?

Why You Should Save and Reuse Prompts

As you refine your prompts, you'll find some that work exceptionally well
for specific tasks. Instead of reinventing the wheel, save them for future
use.

Benefits of Keeping a Prompt Library:

. Efficiency: Quickly reuse well-crafted prompts instead of writing new ones
from scratch.

. Consistency: Ensure you get similar high-quality results each time.

. Customization: Adapt prompts over time to better fit your needs.

Final Thoughts

Prompt engineering isn't about memorizing magic words-it's about thinking
critically about what you need and how to ask for it effectively. The more
you practice, the better you'll get at crafting prompts that make AI work
for you.

So next time you use AI, don't just ask questions-ask the right questions.

 

Brett Boyer

Access Technology Instructor

Colorado Center for the Blind

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