Crafting Effective Instructions for ChatGPT and other LLM's

Posted by Ray Thurman on 08/24/2023

Crafting Effective Instructions for ChatGPT and other LLM's

Creating clear and concise instructions is essential for harnessing the power of OpenAI's GPT-3 and 4 language models, as well as the myriad of other large language model AI tools that have recently been released. Learn strategies to optimize content creation with accurate instructions.

Be Specific and Concrete:

Formulating clear instructions is crucial. Specify output format, length, and specific details. For instance, instead of asking, "Benefits of exercise?", try, "List five physical benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise."

Examples:

  1. "Compare artistic styles of Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso."
  2. "Explain climate change, its causes, and impacts on ecosystems."
  3. "Outline steps for preparing a crewed Mars mission, including spacecraft design and communication challenges."

Use Prompts and Context:

Provide prompts to guide the LLM. For a recipe, add context about the dish's origin or flavors.

Examples:

  1. "Describe Parisian bakery's decadent chocolate cake."
  2. "Introduce democracy's concept, historical origins, and modern significance."
  3. "Craft product description for innovative smartphone model."

Divide Complex Tasks:

Break intricate tasks into steps. Instead of a full marketing plan, request market research, target audience analysis, and promotional strategy.

Examples:

  1. "Break down tech startup's business plan, including market analysis and financial projections."
  2. "Divide theory of relativity into special and general relativity, and supporting evidence."
  3. "List components of a healthy lifestyle: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connections."

Highlight Important Details:

Emphasize crucial details in instructions. Specify data points, historical events, or technical specifications for accurate incorporation.

Examples:

  1. "Highlight steam engine's significance in Industrial Revolution's impact on manufacturing."
  2. "Elaborate on chlorophyll's role in photosynthesis, capturing light energy and converting to chemical energy."
  3. "Emphasize Leonardo da Vinci's contributions to the Renaissance, including art, science, and anatomy advancements."

Control Style and Tone:

Communicate desired style and tone. Specify formal business report or casual blog post for accurate content generation.

Examples:

  1. "Formal article on meditation's psychological and physiological benefits."
  2. "Craft an inviting blog post introducing a hidden vacation spot, highlighting landscapes and local culture."
  3. "Provide a professional overview of artificial intelligence, covering history, applications, and potential future developments."

Use Examples and Analogies:

Utilize examples and analogies. Analogies aid understanding, while examples offer clear templates.

Examples:

  1. "Use a seesaw analogy to explain the supply-demand relationship, with price as the pivot point."
  2. "Compare atom structure to the solar system, with the nucleus as the sun and electrons as orbiting planets."
  3. "Provide social media impact examples, connecting virtual interactions and real-life social dynamics."

Iterate and Refine:

Create ideal instructions through iterations. Start with a draft, observe output, refine for clarity. Fine-tune instructions over time.

  1. "Explain biodiversity; concise definition and two real-world examples."
  2. "Discuss internet history; a timeline of ARPANET to the modern World Wide Web."
  3. "Outline renewable energy pros/cons; practical case studies."

Experiment and Learn:

Experiment for optimal results. Vary wording, structure, and context for valuable insights.

Examples:

  1. "Create a time travel story; blend scientific accuracy with character development."
  2. "Discuss AI benefits in healthcare; compare positive impacts and challenges in patient privacy."
  3. "Write a Python coding tutorial; a step-by-step guide for beginners with clear explanations and interactive code."

Conclusion:

Crafting effective instructions is essential for achieving optimal outcomes with ChatGPT and other large language models. Specificity, context, task breakdown, detail emphasis, style control, examples, iteration, and experimentation enhance results. Unlock some of the tools' potential for tailored and accurate content.

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