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Foundations GPT

This guide provides strategies for creating effective prompts for text-based Generative AI tools, emphasizing the importance of specificity and context to enhance output quality. It advises users to review university guidelines, be clear about desired formats, and engage in iterative feedback with the AI. Additionally, the guide highlights the potential inaccuracies of AI-generated content and encourages users to correct mistakes and provide examples for better results.

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229 views8 pages

Foundations GPT

This guide provides strategies for creating effective prompts for text-based Generative AI tools, emphasizing the importance of specificity and context to enhance output quality. It advises users to review university guidelines, be clear about desired formats, and engage in iterative feedback with the AI. Additionally, the guide highlights the potential inaccuracies of AI-generated content and encourages users to correct mistakes and provide examples for better results.

Uploaded by

ricardo.comtrel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Getting started

with prompts
for text-based
Generative AI
tools
August 30, 2023

The information, sentences, or questions that you enter into a


Generative AI tool (“prompts”) are a big influence on the
quality of outputs you receive. After you enter a prompt, the
AI model analyzes your input and generates a response
based on the patterns it has learned through its training. More
descriptive prompts can improve the quality of the outputs.

​
This guide gives you a basic overview of how to Generate
better prompts. There are more resources at the end, and
we’ll be updating our guidance over time as we learn how
generative AI is being used at the University.

It’s very important to keep in mind that AI-generated content


can be inaccurate, misleading, entirely fabricated, or
offensive, so be sure to carefully review any work containing
AI content before you use or publish it.

​ Before you start using an AI tool for your


Harvard work, you should be sure to review the
University’s guidelines.
​ Harvard's Office of the Vice Provost for Advances in
Learning (VPAL) has also produced a
comprehensive collection of customizable prompts
tailored specifically for educational use.

Be specific

Generic prompts like “Write a story” will produce generic


results. What kind of story do you want? What genre? Is it for
adults or children? How long should it be? Is it funny or
serious? Adding this type of context and being specific, clear,
and concise will help generate more useful outputs.
More specificity can also limit the chances of inaccurate
responses. If you’re looking for a good meal near Harvard
Square, asking “What is the best restaurant in Cambridge?”
could return results from Cambridge, UK. Asking “What is the
best restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts, within walking
distance of Harvard Yard” gives you a better chance of finding
what you’re looking for.

“Act as if…”

Asking the AI to behave as if were a type of person, process,


or object can be an easy way to start generating better
prompts. The AI will attempt to emulate that role and tailor its
answers accordingly.

For example, imagine you wanted help creating a recipe


based on ingredients you have in your kitchen. If you ask,
“create a recipe using these ingredients,” followed by a list,
you’ll get some general recipe suggestions. But if you added
“act as if you are my personal trainer” first, the AI will consider
this context in its response, perhaps suggesting a healthier
recipe or a meal designed to refuel after a workout.
Tell it how you want your output to be presented

Generative AI can produce many different types of outputs,


including code, stories, reports, summaries and synopses,
dialogue, business communications, audio, images, and
much more. Being specific about the type of output you want
will produce better results. After describing what you want, try
adding “Present this in the form of…” and your preferred
output. Or start your prompt with, “Create a [format of output]
about / that contains…” etc.

Use “do” and “don’t”

Telling AI what you do and don’t want in your response can


save time and improve your result. To use the recipe example
again, you can specify what foods you do want to include in
your meal, and any that you specifically do not want, e.g. “Act
as if you are my personal trainer. Create a recipe that will
help me refuel after my workout. Do include tomatoes,
chicken, and some type of carb. Don’t include chili peppers or
any ingredients containing wheat.”

Use examples

Using an example of a sentence or paragraph that you’d like


your output to resemble can give the AI a reference point to
help improve results. However, it’s very important to not
infringe on copyright. Don’t upload copyrighted works and ask
the AI to rewrite / reproduce it or create a substantially similar
work.
Consider tone and audience

Give the AI specifics about who your audience is and what


sort of tone you’d like to set. For example, “Give me ideas for
a best man’s speech that is funny and heartwarming but
appropriate for a family audience” will generate better results
than just “Write a best man’s speech”. Adding more specificity
and context will further improve the output.

Build on previous prompts

​
You don’t have to get everything into your first prompt. Try
starting with a basic question and adding to it over time.
Change the wording or tone or add more context and
specificity to guide the AI toward the output you’re looking for.
Correct mistakes and give feedback

Chat with the AI as if it’s a colleague or teammate and you’re


working on a project together. Give feedback – tell it which
parts of the output were useful and which parts could be
improved. If you notice it got something wrong, tell it so it can
correct its mistake.

Ask it to create your prompts or what else it needs


from you

Stuck on how to create a good prompt? Ask AI to help by


creating one for you! Start with a basic idea of what you want
and ask the AI to expand on it for you, like “What should I ask
you to help me write a blog post about AI?”. And simply
adding “Tell me what else you need to do this” at the end of
any prompt can fill in any gaps that will help the AI produce
better outputs.

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