ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other tools like these make artificial intelligence accessible to the masses. We can now get all sorts of answers on almost any topic imaginable. These chatbots can compose sonnets, write code, wax philosophical, and automate tasks.
However, while you can simply type anything you want into ChatGPT and have ChatGPT understand you, there are ways to get more interesting and useful results from the bot. This “prompt engineering” develops into its own special competence.
Sometimes all it takes is adding a few more words or an extra line of instructions and you can get ChatGPT responses that are far beyond what anyone else sees – and we’ve included several examples below.
While you can do a lot with the free version of ChatGPT, some of these prompts require a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription. We have noted in the tip where this is the case.
Use ChatGPT to critique your ideas the way your child would
We know AI chatbots can be submissive and sycophantic at times, but a little quick engineering can prevent that: tell ChatGPT to act like a curious, inquisitive ten-year-old who wants to help and has lots of questions, and then let the AI provide feedback on everything you discuss.
Whether you’re planning a vacation or a side hustle with AI, this child-like questioning will quickly help you identify weaknesses and potential problems, rather than just saying everything you suggest sounds great. This often raises questions that you otherwise would not have thought of.
Use your phone’s camera to request help
If you use the ChatGPT app on a phone, you can use the device’s camera and add captured photos as part of your prompt. Some examples might be: “How tall is this landmark,” “What type of insect is it,” or “What does this sign say in English?” Just tap + then click the (Plus) button in the command prompt box. camera to send photos with your request.
Ask for the 80-20
Ask for 80-20 points on a topic.
Courtesy of David Nield
ChatGPT can be a useful learning resource for almost any topic – as long as it has consumed enough training data – but can occasionally tend to return an overwhelming amount of information. One way to make it more efficient is to use the “80-20 rule” in your prompt.
The 80-20 rule, known as the Pareto principle, states that 20 percent of the work produces 80 percent of the result. In the ChatGPT world, that means you can learn 80 percent of a topic from 20 percent of the key information about it.
Next time you need to brush up on something using AI, ask ChatGPT for “the 80-20 on…” whatever it may be. It should quickly familiarize you with historical periods, bands, scientific concepts, films, and much more.
Get ChatGPT to improve your doodles
Transform your sketches into something more real.
Courtesy of David Nield
ChatGPT not only generates AI images from scratch, but also likes to remix existing images. Tap or click + (Plus) button in the command prompt box and then select Add photos and files (Desktop) or files (mobile) to select one or more existing images. You can then use the prompt itself to explain what you want next.
Source: Here
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