My Friend Tried ChatGPT and Wasn’t Impressed

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a friend about how amazing AI has become, especially in the last year. I’ve found it super helpful in many areas, but then he told me something that surprised me.

He said he tried ChatGPT and Grok but wasn’t impressed by the results.

I explained to him that there’s an old saying in the computer world: “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” In simple terms, the quality of the input you give to AI directly impacts the quality of the results you get back.

It’s kind of like how we interact with people. Let’s say you got a chance to talk to Elon Musk. If you walked up and asked, “How do I get rich" the conversation would probably be pretty basic and unhelpful.

But if you said something like:

• “I’m 40 years old, live in Minneapolis, and run an IT company with 10 employees.”
• “My clients are small businesses in the area.”
• “I want to grow my company by 25% per year, become more profitable, and stay relevant.”
• “What organizational changes should I make?”
• “What new products or technologies should I focus on? Should I focus on Microsoft’s new products or on AI?”

Now that’s a conversation that could give you valuable insights! The more specific and detailed you are, the better advice you can get in return.

The same goes for AI. If you feed it vague or general information, the answers you get will be vague or general. But if you learn how to ask the right questions, you’ll get more useful responses. This is called prompt engineering, and it’s a skill that’s becoming more important every day.

For the fun of it, I asked ChatPGT “to get the most out of chatgpt, what things are important to specify in a prompt?”

And here is the response it gave me:

To get the most out of ChatGPT, it's helpful to specify the following elements in your prompt:

1. Clear Context: Provide enough background or context for your question or request. The more information you give, the more tailored the response will be. For example, specifying the topic, setting, or problem you're addressing helps guide the response.
2. Desired Tone or Style: If you want the response to be formal, casual, humorous, concise, or detailed, indicating the tone or style you prefer can be helpful.
3. Specific Instructions: If there’s a specific format you’d like the answer to take (e.g., bullet points, lists, steps, or paragraphs), mention that explicitly.
4. Scope: Clarify if you want a broad overview or a deep dive into a particular subject. If you're looking for a quick summary versus an in-depth explanation, let me know.
5. Target Audience: If your prompt involves explaining something, mention who the explanation is for (e.g., a beginner, a child, an expert, etc.), so I can tailor the response accordingly.
6. Limitations or Constraints: If there are certain parameters or limitations you want me to follow, such as word count, specific sources, or perspectives to avoid, mentioning them helps refine the response.
7. Examples or References: If you want a response that draws from specific examples or uses particular frameworks, include that information. For instance, asking for examples of a concept or referencing a specific methodology can make the response more relevant.
8. Follow-Up Questions: If you're planning to have a deeper conversation or need to continue building on the response, mentioning that you might ask follow-up questions can guide the level of detail and clarity I provide.

By including these elements, you can ensure the responses are more aligned with your expectations.

So, if you want to get the most out of AI, start practicing how to talk to it. It’s a game-changer!