A ChatGPT prompt is a user-provided instruction or question that guides the AI in generating a response. The quality of a prompt can significantly influence the relevance and usefulness of the AI’s output. Good prompts are clear, specific, and provide enough context to direct the model towards the desired outcome. They often contain explicit details about the task, including any necessary background information that the AI might need to know to provide an accurate response. Conversely, a bad prompt may be vague, ambiguous, or lack the details necessary to yield a precise answer. Such prompts can lead to misunderstandings or responses that don’t meet the user’s needs. For example, a good prompt might be: “Explain the process of photosynthesis in plants, detailing the chemical reactions and the role of chlorophyll”. This prompt is specific and informs the AI of the exact information required. A bad prompt, however, might be: “Tell me about plants”. This is vague and does not specify what aspects of plants the user is interested in, which can result in a broad and unfocused response.

The nature of prompts in ChatGPT forces users to have a very clear view of what they want to achieve and how to express it. Such clarity is essential because, unlike human conversations, there cannot be tacit linguistic agreements between a human and ChatGPT. Human communication often relies on shared context, non-verbal cues, and common understanding developed over time, which AI currently cannot fully replicate. Therefore, the onus is on the user to provide explicit instructions that leave little room for interpretation, ensuring a more accurate and helpful response from the model. This requirement encourages precision in thought and communication and compels us to articulate our thoughts more systematically. Definitely, not a bad thing.