Disclaimer: Some parts of this blog post may contain AI-generated content. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and coherence of the generated content, please be aware that it may not always reflect the views or opinions of the author.

As the rapid growth of AI continues, keeping up with the latest trends becomes increasingly difficult. I use ChatGPT for hours every single day, it has absolutely changed my life. I have probably squeezed out 1000 times more value out of it than the subscription amount I pay for ChatGPT Plus.

However, I can’t help but think that I am not utilizing the new power of AI to the fullest. I would like to think that I am now a ChatGPT wizard after all my conversations with it, but the possibilities are just too limitless.

Let alone the dozens of other AI tools that I haven’t even gotten a chance to use yet. SMH.

So, I decided to ask ChatGPT itself for some brilliant prompt engineering hacks to maximize the value I derive from it. Without further ado, here are the prompt engineering hacks I managed to obtain from my conversation:

Nudge, Don't Shove

To initiate a meaningful exchange with ChatGPT, consider the 'Nudge, Don't Shove' approach. Contrary to what some might believe, you don’t need to churn out long, convoluted instructions for the AI to understand. More often than not, a well-crafted nudge yields better results than an extensive shove.

For instance, instead of inputting, "ChatGPT, can you generate a story about an alien who has come to Earth and is now learning to blend in with humans and then becomes the President?", consider breaking down the instruction into smaller nudges.

You could start with, "Write a short intro about an alien landing on Earth." Follow it up with, "Describe the alien's first interaction with humans," and so on.

Leverage The 'As If' Technique

Utilize the 'As If' technique when you want to mimic a particular style or persona. For instance, if you want the AI to sound like Shakespeare, you could prompt, "Write this as if you were Shakespeare." Or, if you want advice as if from Elon Musk, you could ask, "What would Elon Musk's advice be on starting a space tech company?"

Use the Magic of 'In The Style Of'

For text generation in a specific tone or manner, the phrase 'In The Style Of' works wonders. Suppose you want a scientific explanation to sound like a fairy tale. Your prompt could be, "Explain the theory of relativity in the style of a fairy tale."

Set The Format for the AI

Do you want the response in the form of a list, a poem, or dialogue? Don't leave it up to chance. Set the format for the AI. If you want a list of productivity hacks, prompt with "List the top five productivity hacks..." or if you fancy a poem about spring, try "Compose a sonnet about spring."

Employ the -LY Adverbs

Adverbs ending in -LY are great tools to direct the AI's tonality. If you need an answer that's easy to understand, request, "Explain quantum physics simply." Or, if you're looking for a creative twist, ask, "Describe a sunset dramatically."

Be Explicit with Your Requests

Sometimes, being straightforward is the best way to go. If you need a detailed answer, ask for it: "Give me a detailed guide on..." If you need a short explanation, say so: "Give me a brief overview of..."

Use the Feedback Loop

A useful yet under-appreciated feature of ChatGPT is the feedback loop. Once the AI gives you a response, don't hesitate to correct, guide, or provide feedback. If the AI's answer is off track, you can say, "That's not quite what I was looking for. Let's try again..."

With these tricks up your sleeve, your interactions with ChatGPT should become smoother, more intuitive, and certainly more fun.

Prompt-engineering is an art. The more you play with it, the more you'll learn to craft prompts that will have ChatGPT delivering responses that hit the mark, time and again.

Happy prompting!