{"id":77499,"date":"2025-07-09T00:01:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T04:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=77499"},"modified":"2025-07-09T00:01:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T04:01:16","slug":"what-makes-a-good-ai-prompt-here-are-4-expert-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/what-makes-a-good-ai-prompt-here-are-4-expert-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes a good AI prompt? Here are 4 expert tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd do you work well with AI?\u201d<\/p>\n

As tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems become part of everyday workflows,\u00a0more companies are looking for employees<\/a>\u00a0who can answer \u201cyes\u201d to this question. In other words, people who can prompt effectively, think with AI, and use it to boost productivity.<\/p>\n

In fact, in a growing number of roles, being \u201cAI fluent\u201d is quickly becoming as important as being proficient in office software once was.<\/p>\n

But we\u2019ve all had that moment when we\u2019ve asked an AI chatbot a question and received what feels like the most generic, surface level answer. The problem isn\u2019t the AI \u2013 you just haven\u2019t given it enough to work with.<\/p>\n

Think of it this way. During training, the AI will have \u201cread\u201d virtually everything on the internet. But because it makes predictions, it will give you the most probable, most common response. Without specific guidance, it\u2019s like walking into a restaurant and asking for something good. You\u2019ll likely get the chicken.<\/p>\n

Your solution lies in understanding that AI systems excel at adapting to context, but you have to provide it. So how exactly do you do that?<\/p>\n

Crafting better prompts<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You may have heard the term \u201cprompt engineering\u201d. It might sound like you need to design some kind of technical script to get results.<\/p>\n

But\u00a0today\u2019s chatbots are great at human conversation<\/a>. The format of your prompt is not that important. The content is.<\/p>\n

To get the most out of your AI conversations, it\u2019s important that you convey a few basics about what you want, and how you want it. Our approach follows the acronym CATS \u2013 context, angle, task and style.<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong>\u00a0means providing the setting and background information the AI needs. Instead of asking \u201cHow do I write a proposal?\u201d try \u201cI\u2019m a nonprofit director writing a grant proposal to a foundation that funds environmental education programs for urban schools\u201d. Upload relevant documents, explain your constraints, and describe your specific situation.<\/p>\n

Angle<\/strong>\u00a0(or attitude) leverages AI\u2019s strength in role-playing and perspective-taking. Rather than getting a neutral response, specify the attitude you want. For example, \u201cAct as a critical peer reviewer and identify weaknesses in my argument\u201d or \u201cTake the perspective of a supportive mentor helping me improve this draft\u201d.<\/p>\n

Task<\/strong>\u00a0is specifically about what you actually want the AI to do. \u201cHelp me with my presentation\u201d is vague. But \u201cGive me three ways to make my opening slide more engaging for an audience of small business owners\u201d is actionable.<\/p>\n

Style<\/strong>\u00a0harnesses AI\u2019s ability to adapt to different formats and audiences. Specify whether you want a formal report, a casual email, bullet points for executives, or an explanation suitable for teenagers. Tell the AI what voice you want to use \u2013 for<\/p>\n

Context is everything<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Besides crafting a clear, effective prompt, you can also focus on managing the surrounding information \u2013 that is to say on \u201ccontext engineering<\/a>\u201d. Context engineering refers to everything that surrounds the prompt.<\/p>\n

That means thinking about the environment and information the AI has access to: its memory function, instructions leading up to the task, prior conversation history, documents you upload, or examples of what good output looks like.<\/p>\n

You should think about prompting as a conversation. If you\u2019re not happy with the first response, push for more, ask for changes, or provide more clarifying information.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect the AI to give a ready-made response. Instead, use it to trigger your own thinking. If you feel the AI has produced a lot of good material but you get stuck, copy the best parts into a fresh session and ask it to summarise and continue from there.<\/p>\n

Keeping your wits<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A word of caution though. Don\u2019t get\u00a0seduced by the human-like conversation abilities<\/a>\u00a0of these chatbots.<\/p>\n

Always retain your professional distance and remind yourself that you are the only thinking part in this relationship. And always make sure to check the accuracy of anything an AI produces \u2013\u00a0errors are increasingly common<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AI systems are remarkably capable, but they need you \u2013 and human intelligence \u2013 to bridge the gap between their vast generic knowledge and your particular situation. Give them enough context to work with, and they might surprise you with how helpful they can be.<\/p>\n

Author Bios:<\/strong> Sandra Peter is Director of Sydney Executive Plus, Business School and Kai Riemer is Professor of Information Technology and Organisation both at the University of Sydney<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd do you work well with AI?\u201d As tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and other generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems become part of everyday workflows,\u00a0more companies are looking for employees\u00a0who can answer \u201cyes\u201d to this question. In other words, people who can prompt effectively, think with AI, and use it to boost productivity. In fact, […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[434804],"tags":[435420],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-77499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai-prompts"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat makes a good AI prompt? 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