Artificial intelligence tools are becoming part of everyday life. People are using them to plan trips, write emails, explore new topics, and organize ideas. But if you’ve ever felt disappointed or confused by the answers you received, the issue may not be the tool itself. It may be the question you asked.
This post launches the ORL’s AI Basics series with a simple starting -point: learning how to provide clearer instructions when using AI.
What is a “prompt,” anyway?
When you type a question or instruction into an AI tool, that input is called a prompt. It can be short or detailed, casual or specific. The AI uses your prompt to decide how to respond.
Think of it like asking for help from a person. A vague request often leads to a vague answer. A clear request usually gets you closer to the information you need.
Why details matter
AI tools don’t know your situation unless you tell them. The more specific context you provide in your question, the better the machine’s response is likely to be. This is because AI tools search for patterns in language and respond based on the information they’re given. The more details you include in your prompt, the more helpful the response is likely to be.
For example, consider the difference between these two prompts:
Less helpful:
“Help me write an email.”
More helpful:
“Help me write a polite email to my child’s teacher explaining that they’ll be absent for two days due to illness. The tone should be calm and respectful.”
The second prompt gives the AI a purpose, an audience, and a tone to work with.
Before and after: improving everyday prompts
Here are a few more examples of how small changes in the requests you provide to AI can lead to clearer results.
Planning
Instead of:
“Plan a trip to Vancouver.”
You might try:
“Plan a three-day trip to Vancouver for two adults who enjoy museums, walking tours, and good food. Keep costs moderate.”
Learning
Instead of:
“Explain climate change.”
You might try:
“Explain climate change in plain language for someone with no post-secondary science background. Keep it under 500 words.”
Writing good prompts is not about good writing
When using AI tools, you don’t need to worry about grammar, sentence structure, or sounding polished. AI tools are not expecting you to sculpt prose like Esi Edugyen. They’re looking for clear information and patterns that help them understand what you want.
Your prompt doesn’t even need to be a complete sentence. Short phrases, keywords, or copy and pasted notes can work just as well as full paragraphs.
Same question, different inputs
Here are a few examples that show how adding context improves results, even when the prompt isn’t written as a traditional sentence.
Budgeting
Instead of:
“Tell me about budgeting.”
You might try a full sentence:
“Explain basic monthly budgeting for someone living on a fixed income who needs to save more. Use plain language and practical examples.”
Or you could use short phrases:
basic monthly budgeting
fixed income
prioritize saving
plain language
practical examples
Both approaches give the AI more direction. The second prompt shows that you can input notes or keywords rather than complete sentences.
Learning a new topic
Instead of:
“Explain interest rates.”
You might try:
Canada
interest rates
plain language
everyday examples
broad overview
considering renewing mortgage
Writing help
Instead of:
“Fix this paragraph.”
You might try:
rewrite for clarity
friendly tone
optimism/positivity
keep meaning same
no exclamation points
high school reading level
There is no single “correct” way to write a prompt. If the response isn’t what you expected, you can always add more detail or rephrase your request.
A search engine that speaks
Another way to think about AI is to consider using it like you use a search engine.
A broad search term can return thousands of results, many of which are not quite what you were looking for. Adding a few more details—such as location, time frame, or purpose—helps narrow the results and surface information that is more relevant to you.
A few things to keep in mind
AI tools can sound confident even when they’re wrong. They may also reflect bias or provide outdated information. Always double-check important facts, especially when the topic involves health, legal matters, or finances.
It’s also important to avoid sharing personal or sensitive information, such as passwords, identification numbers, or private documents.
Try it at home: five everyday prompts
If you’re curious to learn more, here are a few simple prompts to try:
- “Explain [insert topic] as if I’m new to it and learning at home.”
- “Give me three options for [insert topic] and explain the differences between them.”
- “Rewrite [insert text] in the style of Earnest Hemingway.”
- “Help me make an Action Plan and Checklist for [insert humdrum task you would like to dedicate less cerebral bandwidth to].”
- “Summarize [insert information] in five key points.”
- “I’m considering [insert topic]. Provide pros/cons. Provide examples. Explain your reasoning.”
Prompting AI is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice. This post is the first in the ORL’s AI Basics series, designed to help patrons build confidence with new technologies through clear, practical guidance. For more information, consider visiting the Government of Canada’s AI Usage Guide.
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