12 Essential Tips for Getting Better Results from AI Chatbots

12 Essential Tips for Getting Better Results from AI Chatbots

While nearly half of people in their 50s use AI chatbots, only a quarter of folks over 70 do, and many remain perplexed about effective prompting. Understanding how to communicate with these systems can unlock their full potential for practical tasks like brainstorming, complaint letters, and complex research.

AI prompts differ from traditional search. Think of regular search as asking a librarian for book recommendations, while AI prompting is like having someone read those books, summarize them, and write something new in your preferred style.

Key Prompting Strategies

Define Your Audience and Style: Tell the AI exactly who you're writing for and what tone you want. Specify whether you need formal, academic language or something casual that a beginner would understand. Ask for content to be presented as bullet points, paragraphs, or specific lengths.

Assign Roles and Personas: Let the AI play a part by giving it a specific profession or perspective. "You are an environmentalist researching AI's impact on water usage..." helps the AI think through problems more effectively.

Add Constraints and Requirements: Use "do" and "don't" to improve results. When seeking meal help, specify included ingredients and those to avoid: "Create a post-workout recipe. Do not include tomatoes, chicken, or carbs containing wheat."

Keep the Conversation Going: Treat AI like a person and spread tasks across multiple prompts rather than front-loading everything. Don't be afraid to ask follow-up questions or request modifications.

Advanced Techniques

Use AI as a Coach: Career counselor Marie O'Hara successfully appealed her mother's denied insurance coverage by having ChatGPT coach her through the process, providing specific language and examples for her appeal.

Ask for Prompting Help: When stuck, add "Tell me what else you need to do this" to get the AI to guide your prompt construction.

Image Generation Tips: For visual content, be specific about lighting, framing, colors, and style. Instead of "draw a dog," describe the breed, location, activity, and mood for better results.

Critical Warnings

Always verify AI outputs before acting on advice, especially regarding health or finances. AI systems still "hallucinate" or generate inaccurate information despite sounding authoritative. Pay attention to disclaimers and respect copyright before publishing AI-generated content.

The key to effective AI interaction is specificity and iteration. Start with clear instructions, refine based on results, and remember that AI works best as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human judgment.

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