Key principles for creating an effective prompt

The way we ask a question directly affects the answer we receive. This is equally true when working with artificial intelligence (AI) tools and systems. They cannot determine what we want unless we formulate our requests clearly and precisely. Users often receive unclear, incomplete, or overly general answers because their queries are too broad or insufficiently specific.

By mastering the skill of properly formulating queries, you will be able to:

• Obtain accurate and relevant information.

• Save time.

• Understand and process information more easily.

• Use technology more effectively in teaching and research.

Regardless of the sophistication of artificial intelligence tools, the quality of their answers depends largely on how we formulate the query – known as the prompt.

Questions to consider

• To what extent does the way we put questions (prompts) to artificial intelligence differ from how we put questions to humans?

• What are the key differences, and what do they mean for our communication with technology?

• How would you adjust your question to get the best possible answer in both cases?