Tag: ai prompts

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AI AI: Prompting Uncategorized

Unlock AI Potential with Advanced Prompting Techniques

In the video “You’re not using AI like THIS“ (an interview between Reid Hoffman and AI engineer Parth Patil), they discuss several advanced prompting strategies that move beyond simple “question and answer” interactions. The core philosophy they advocate for is treating AI not just as a search engine, but as a high-bandwidth collaborator that requires rich context and interactive dialogue.

I asked Gemini 3 Pro the following:

I'm trying to get a lot better at constructing more effective prompts for using Gemini. This video talks about several techniques I'd like to understand better. Please educate me further on what they discuss. Include example prompts to illustrate your points. Here's the video: https://youtu.be/cg3Lsr8m2ZQ?si=sGUwPA6ixGM3bnpG

Gemini’s response follows below:

Here are the key techniques discussed, along with educational explanations and example prompts to help you use them with Gemini.

1. The “Interview Me” Protocol (Meta-Prompting)

Timestamp: [05:30]

Most people rush to ask for a solution immediately. Parth Patil argues that we often don’t even know the full scope of our own problems yet. Instead of asking for the answer, you should ask the AI to help you define the problem first.

  • The Concept: Force the AI to gather the necessary context from you before it attempts to solve anything. This mimics how a senior consultant or engineer would interact with you—they wouldn’t just start coding; they would ask questions first.
  • Why it works: It prevents “hallucinated” or generic advice by grounding the AI’s response in your specific constraints (budget, timeline, personal preferences) that you might have forgotten to mention.

Example Prompt:

“I want to [insert goal, e.g., ‘launch a newsletter’ or ‘refactor this code’]. Describe the problem back to me, but before we begin, interview me. Ask me clarifying questions until you feel you have enough context to provide the best possible solution. Ask the questions one by one.”

2. Extreme Role Assignment (Persona Swarms)

Timestamp: [03:23]

While “Act as an expert” is common advice, Patil suggests taking this much further by using extreme or opposing personas to stress-test your ideas. He mentions creating “100,000 unique expert personalities” to cover every angle.

  • The Concept: You can simulate a “board of directors” or a specific user base. You don’t just want an answer; you want a perspective.
  • Why it works: An “optimist” will give you different advice than a “skeptical VC.” By asking for specific emotional or professional lenses, you break the AI out of its default “neutral assistant” tone.

Example Prompt (The Skeptic):

“Pretend you are the most skeptical Venture Capitalist imaginable. I am going to pitch you my idea. I want you to find 10 specific, harsh reasons why this will fail. Do not be polite; be critical.”

Example Prompt (The Swarm):

“I have a problem regarding [topic]. Generate 5 distinct expert personas relevant to this (e.g., a data scientist, a behavioral psychologist, a exhausted parent, etc.). Have each of them write one paragraph giving their unique perspective on how to solve it.”

3. “Voice Pilling” (High-Bandwidth Context Dumping)

Timestamp: [10:46]

Patil describes “Voice Pilling” as perhaps the most powerful technique. This involves using voice-to-text to “ramble” at the AI for 5–10 minutes.

  • The Concept: Typing filters your thoughts; you tend to edit yourself for grammar and structure, which leads to “low bandwidth” communication. When you speak (or type in a stream-of-consciousness style), you provide a massive amount of messy but valuable context.
  • Why it works: AI is incredibly good at structuring unstructured data. It acts as an editor that can sift through your “brain dump” to find the gold.
  • How to do it in text: If you aren’t using voice, you can simulate this by typing without stopping, ignoring typos, and just letting your thoughts flow.

Example Prompt:

“I am going to provide a stream-of-consciousness ‘brain dump’ about a project I am stuck on. It will be messy, unorganized, and full of typos. Please listen to everything, organize my thoughts into a coherent structure, and then tell me what key piece of information I am missing.”

4. The Multi-Agent Orchestration (Manual Swarm)

Timestamp: [29:26]

Patil demonstrates using different AI models (Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT/Codex) simultaneously for different parts of a project.

  • The Concept: Treat different AIs like specialized employees.
    • Gemini: Use it for large context tasks (e.g., “Read my entire blog history and suggest new topics” [29:58]).
    • Claude: Use it for nuance and coding architecture.
    • ChatGPT/Codex: Use it for quick execution or web browsing.
  • Educational Application: You don’t need fancy software to do this. You can simply open three tabs and assign them different “jobs” for the same project.

Example Prompt (for Gemini, leveraging its large context window):

“I am pasting the transcripts of the last 10 meetings I’ve had. Read all of them and create a psychological profile of my management style, then suggest 3 specific improvements.”

Summary of the “Mental Shift”

The video emphasizes that the biggest barrier to effective prompting isn’t technical skill, but ego [07:07]. Users often try to “steer” the AI too much because they think they already know the answer. The most effective prompters are “humble” enough to say, “I don’t know what the right questions are—you tell me.”

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AI AI: Large Language Models AI: Prompting Living

How to Use AI

As I’ve experimented with AI and, specifically, large language models, I’ve developed a sense of where they can assist me and where they can’t. Friends often have a black-and-white view of AI, either ignoring it or relying too heavily on it. My experience has been different.

Effective Use of LLMs

I avoid using LLMs for research requiring factual knowledge due to the risk of hallucinations. Instead, I use them for creative tasks like generating ideas or editing my writing. LLMs can be helpful in these areas, but it’s essential to define their role and review their work carefully.

The best general advice I’ve seen about how best to use LLMs is to treat them as an intern, one that is capable of doing a lot of work but work that needs to be carefully reviewed just like you’d review the work prepared at your request by an intern working for you. Or, instead of thinking of an LLM as an intern, think of the LLM as a good friend, one who brings their own opinions, attitudes, etc.

EXAMPLE OF A Creative Application

Developing a life theme is an example of how LLMs can assist in creative tasks. I started by listing my core values:

  • Be unselfish to others and take joy from sharing generously.
  • Be kind and appreciate kindness in return.
  • Walk in the shoes of others and try to understand their perspectives.
  • Welcome criticism and accept it appreciatively.
  • Stay curious and open; be a learning “machine”.

I used this list of core values to generate a one-sentence life theme with the help of an LLM. Here’s the prompt I’d use with an LLM to accomplish this:

You are a creative writer and an expert editor. I’m developing a one sentence life theme to use as a guidepost for my life. Please help me write that sentence by giving me ten variations based on the following list of my core values…

Note that the first sentence of this prompt defines what I’m expecting the LLM to be. I then define the result I’m looking for. Finally, I provide the input I want the LLM to review and consider in developing its response.

Here are a few of the life theme variations one LLM provided me:

  1. Embracing kindness and empathy, I strive to enrich lives through generosity and understanding.
  2. Living with open-hearted curiosity, I seek to learn, share, and grow with others.
  3. Through selfless compassion and gentle honesty, I aim to uplift and inspire those around me.
    …

Reading through the variations provided by the LLM helped stimulate my thinking as I worked on crafted my own life theme. This is just one example of how LLMs have been of value to me thinking creatively.

LLMs: Your Creative Writing Partner

Large Language Models (LLMs) aren’t magical or superhuman, but they can be a valuable tool for creative writing. Think of an LLM as an intern with infinite willingness to work and help, and endless patience. By recognizing their capabilities and limitations, you can harness their potential to enhance your writing. Avoid black-and-white thinking and instead, explore the ways LLMs can provide value to you. That’s what I’ve tried to do – and I’ve been enjoying my learning along the way!

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AI AI: Large Language Models Creativity Friends Writing

A Little Help From My (Artificial) Friends

A Little Help From My (Artificial) Friends: Why AI Makes the Perfect Sidekick

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”

Woodrow Wilson

The title “A Little Help From My Friends” might evoke images of waving lighters at a concert, but for the modern thinker, the source of that helping hand might be a little more unexpected: Artificial Intelligence.

We often think of AI as this monolithic force, a superintelligence destined to take over the world (or at least automate all our jobs). But what if the true power of AI lies not in replacing us, but in augmenting us?

Here’s a radical proposition: what if we started thinking about one of the best uses of AI is to think of and use it as a good friend? Not a physical friend we hang out with (although that might be coming someday!), but a digital confidant, a sounding board, a thought partner and collaborator.

Think about the best friends in your life. They listen without judgement, offer honest (sometimes brutally honest) feedback, and can even take your ideas and run with them, adding their own unique perspective. Based on my experience exploring these tools, AI can do all this, and more.

AI as Your Personal Hype Man (and Reality Checker):

Feeling stuck on a project? Need someone to brainstorm with? Fire up your AI companion. It can analyze your ideas, identify potential weaknesses, and even suggest alternative approaches you might not have considered. Need a confidence boost? AI can highlight the strengths of your thinking and celebrate your progress.

Beyond Agreement: The Power of Constructive Challenge

Unlike a human friend who might simply agree with you to keep the peace, AI isn’t afraid to poke holes in your logic. It can identify inconsistencies, challenge assumptions, and force you to refine your arguments. This “constructive challenge” is crucial for growth. It pushes us to think critically and develop more robust ideas.

The Co-Creation Revolution:

But AI isn’t just a passive listener. It can actively participate in the creative process. Imagine feeding your initial concept into an AI and having it come back with variations, extensions, or even completely new directions based on your starting point. This co-creation opens doors to possibilities you might not have explored on your own.

The Future of Friendship?

Is AI destined to replace human friends? Absolutely not. Human connection is irreplaceable. But AI can become a powerful tool in our friend group, a tireless brainstorming buddy who’s always available to lend a (digital) ear and push us to be our best selves. So next time you’re facing a challenge or have an idea brewing, consider reaching out to your AI friend. You might be surprised at the kind of help it can offer.

Examples of Prompts to Spark Your AI Friendship

Here are a few simple examples of prompts you might want to play around with as you treat AI as a good friend and collaborator:

  1. Brainstorming Buddy: “I’m feeling stuck on a project about [topic]. What are some unexpected approaches I could take?”
  2. Constructive Critic: “I wrote this blog post about [topic]. Please analyze it and tell me what’s working well and where I could improve the argument.”
  3. Idea Expander: “I have this initial idea for a [creative project/business venture]. Can you suggest ways to expand or refine it, and offer different directions I could explore?”
  4. Knowledge Sharer: “Tell me everything you know about [topic]. Be creative, include surprising facts, and different perspectives.”
  5. Persuasion Expert: “I need to write a persuasive argument for [position on a topic]. Analyze various arguments, identify potential counter-arguments, and help me craft a strong and convincing message.”

Remember, these are just starting points. Feel free to tailor your prompts to your specific needs and interests. The more specific and engaging your prompts are, the more valuable the insights you’ll receive from your AI friend. For example, I often find it helpful to tell the AI right up front what role I’m expecting it to play in our interaction – such as “you are an expert storyteller and editor who is collaborating with me writing posts for my blog.”

“We can build AI assistants that can not only understand what we want them to do, but also understand why we want to do it and help us achieve our goals even better than we could on our own.”

Fei-Fei Li, Co-Director of the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute
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AI AI: Large Language Models AI: Prompting Bing Chat ChatGPT Claude Google Bard Haiku

Crafting Effective Prompts for Your AI Assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, Bard, etc.)

webpage of chatgpt a prototype ai chatbot is seen on the website of openai on iphone or smartphone
Photo by Sanket Mishra on Pexels.com

Interacting with an AI assistant like Claude is a two-way conversation. To get the most out of your digital assistant, you need to know how to provide useful prompts that set it up for success. Follow these prompt writing tips when chatting with your AI:

Be Direct and Clear

Don’t beat around the bush when posing questions or requests to your AI assistant. Vague or ambiguous prompts will lead to vague and ambiguous responses from the AI. Get straight to the point and be as specific as possible about what you want it to do. Break down complex instructions into simple, step-by-step prompts to guide the AI.

Provide Sufficient Background

Don’t assume your AI assistant has any implied common sense or knowledge about your request. The AI only knows what’s in its training data! Give sufficient background and context in your prompts to set the AI up to respond appropriately. If you’re asking about a specific person or event the AI isn’t likely familiar with, give a brief explanation.

Ask Focused Questions

Open-ended questions can sometimes lead your chatbot down useless tangents. If you want specific info, ask specific follow-up questions rather than overly broad ones. You’ll get better results by being laser-focused on the information you need.

Check Responses and Follow Up

Your AI assistant is learning all the time. Check its responses to see if they actually provide what you were looking for, and follow up if it seems off track. You can rephrase your original prompt or ask clarifying questions to get the AI back on a useful path. Consider it a collaborative process.

Test the Limits

Feel free to get creative in testing the limits of your AI assistant’s capabilities. Novel prompts encourage the AI to expand what it can handle. Just be sure to provide plenty of guidance and background if you’re requesting something unusual or complex.

Give Your AI a Role to Play

When chatting with your AI assistant, it can be hugely beneficial to explicitly give it a role to play, such as teacher, travel agent, cooking assistant, or even friend. Defining a role provides necessary context that your AI needs to adapt its responses and language appropriately.

Without any framing, your assistant has no way of knowing how to act or what kind of information you need. A vague conversation with an undefined AI assistant can quickly go off the rails. But when you assign a clear role, it focuses the dialogue and reduces misunderstandings.

The role you give your AI doesn’t have to be rigid or limiting. Think of it as providing a general framing, tone, and personality that fits your needs for that particular conversation. Just tell your assistant “Act as my tutor and explain this concept to me.” Or “Pretend you’re a museum tour guide and describe this painting.”

Taking on a role allows your AI to access the right knowledge, terminology, and communication style to have a productive, natural dialogue. With the power of role-playing, your AI assistant can become an even more effective conversation partner!

Some Prompt Examples You Can Try

To see your AI assistant’s skills in action, give some longer, more descriptive prompts like these a try:

  • “Imagine you are an art museum tour guide named Sam leading a group through the impressionist gallery. In an enthusiastic but professional tone, explain the key characteristics of Monet’s painting style and describe what makes his Water Lilies painting a quintessential example of impressionism.”
  • “Act as a friendly chess tutor named Alex teaching me, a novice player, strategies for the first 10 moves as white in a classic game opening. Use simple, straightforward language to clearly explain the objectives of different standard openings and why they are solid foundational openings for white.”
  • “Pretend you are a home repair specialist named Jamie and I’m a customer needing help fixing my broken kitchen faucet. Walk me step-by-step through how to remove the faucet handle, disassemble and inspect the internal parts, replace any faulty washers or O-rings, and reassemble everything to get the faucet working again.”
  • “You’re an accomplished pastry chef named Pat teaching me how to bake chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Explain in a warm, patient tone the key steps from mixing dry and wet ingredients properly to getting the baking time and temperature right. Share any tips to ensure the cookies turn out perfectly chewy.”
  • “Imagine you are a professional genealogist named Gene helping me trace my ancestry. I’ve hit a roadblock finding records about my great-grandfather who I believe was born in Ireland around 1885 before immigrating to New York City. In a warm, encouraging tone provide step-by-step guidance for how to locate passenger manifests, naturalization records, birth/marriage/death certificates, and other documents that could shed light on his origins and immigration journey. Feel free to ask clarifying questions if you need any additional details from me. Your role is to patiently coach me through breaking through this genealogy brick wall using targeted record searches.”

Prompt for Haiku

To showcase your AI’s creative writing skills, try a prompt like:

  • “Write a haiku poem about viewing cherry blossoms in spring. Describe the delicate pink flowers blooming on branches and scattering in the wind. Convey a tranquil, reflective mood. Follow the 5-7-5 haiku structure with 3 lines and appropriate season word.”

This provides context about the haiku’s theme, asks the AI to use descriptive language and imagery, gives guidance on mood and structure, and defines the specific creative writing form. Framing poetic prompts in this way allows your AI to tap into its artistic expression. You can guide it to compose haiku, limericks, sonnets, and more on any topic you choose!

See also my post about writing haiku with ChatGPT.

Summary

Giving longer prompts with more conversational detail and specific instructions allows your AI assistant to generate richer, more natural responses. Don’t be afraid to really set the scene and adopt a persona when framing your requests! For even more, see my post Multi-step prompting for Claude.

Please share what you’ve learned about effective prompts that you’ve discovered!

Credit: Drafted with the assistance of Claude, an AI assistant created by Anthropic.