4 Tips for Prompting AI

Artificial Intelligence is the next major evolutionary step in computer technology.  In some ways it will make life easier.  It can make us more productive.  It can help us to find information, summarize articles, plan events, organize our thoughts, help create a budget, etc.  

In order to do any of that, however, you have to be able to create a prompt.  A prompt is a set of instructions given to AI, which instructs the AI to give the response that the user is looking for.  It can be as simple as asking a question, but vague questions often get vague or inaccurate responses that are not very useful.  

The trick is to ask the question the right way by giving AI the context, clarity, and specific instructions that helps the AI to provide the best response.  Here are a few tricks that you can use to get a better, more accurate and more detailed response.

These tips will work with whatever AI Model you are using, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Chat GPT, etc.

Tip 1: Be Specific

When prompting AI, you should be as clear and specific as you can.  Doing so helps the AI to focus in on what you are asking for rather than giving vague answers that aren't very helpful.  

Here are a couple of examples.

• Vague: What should I have for dinner?
• Specific: I have chicken breasts, rice and broccoli. (list anything you have) Can you give me a 20 minute recipe that uses minimal dishes and is mildly spicy?

Or: 

• Vague: How do I clean my house?
• Specific: I have a small two‑bedroom apartment with a dog. Can you create a 30‑minute cleaning routine focused on the kitchen and living room, using only vinegar, baking soda, and microfiber cloths?

Use as many concrete details as you can such as numbers, timelines, details, dates, etc.

Tip 2: Add Context

A little background information helps the AI to understand the unique situation you are seeking help with.  It's like telling the GPS in your car the full address of where you are going rather than saying "take me somewhere."

Adding context helps the AI to...

• understand your goal, audience, your situation, your tone and your background knowledge.  
• If AI knows the boundaries of the task you are asking it to do, it is much less likely to wander off topic or invent new details that aren't true.  
• It helps the AI to solve the right problem.
• I'm writing a blog post for beginners...
• I'm looking for a wonderful recipe to impress my girl with...
• I'm helping mom to save money on her TV Bill...

Tip 3: Assign a Role

Another way to help to help AI focus in on what you are actually looking for is to assign it a role.  Assigning a role is like choosing the person you want to talk to.  

• You are a Michelin Star Chef...
• You are a professional travel agent helping me to plan a trip...
• You are a professional home organizer...
• Write like a pirate...

Assigning a role helps the AI to understand what perspective you are looking for, it will focus in and use the proper terminology, and it will give the response in the style and tone of the .  

Tip 4: Specify the Desired Response Format

You can ask the AI to format the response any way you like. 

• Please help me to write an email to my child's teacher...
• Use bullet points...
• Give me a step by step numbered list...
• Write a 200 word summary...

Asking for a specific format will help the AI to provide more usable answers that you can just copy and paste right into an email, social media post, or a document.  

Conclusion: 

These four tips are just a few of the simple, practical ways to turn AI from a guessing machine into a genuinely helpful tool. When you give AI clear details, context, a role, and a format, you’re essentially handing it the blueprint for the exact answer you want. The more direction you provide, the better and more reliable your results will be.

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How to get a good recipe from AI

Hello.  Welcome to Life AI Hacks.

Today I'm going to show you how to start eating like a king using AI.  This should work no matter what AI Model you choose to use. Chat GPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.

Here you see I've created an image of a stunning dish.  A savory Chicken Stir-Fry with roasted Green Beans, Potato's and Corn, over White Rice.  

Chicken Stir-Fry

I did it using only ingredients that I had in my house, which is pretty limited at the moment, but we have to make the best of what we have.  So here is what you do.

Step 1

Create a list of all the ingredients that you have in your home.  Include spices, condiments, sides, veggies, the meat you want to use, oils, etc.  If you keep this list updated, you can refer back to it for future recipes, or what to add to your shopping list.

Here is the list I created in a document on my computer.

Step 2

With that list, I created a prompt, asking AI to create a stunning dish. To include only ingredients that I had in my home.

A Prompt is a set of instructions that you give to AI, requesting a response.  It can be as simple as asking a question like, "Can you give me a good chicken recipe?" but you can do so much more and get much better responses by crafting better prompts.  

The recipe that I was given was based on the ingredients that I put on that list.  I also assigned it a roll, "Michelin Star Chef

You are a Michelin Star Chef, who is giving me a delightful recipe for the boneless chicken breasts that I have in my refrigerator.

It needs to be top-notch, deliciously seasoned, good enough to serve in a top restaurant.  And it needs to include only the ingredients that I have.  

• Parsley flakes

• Orange pepper

• Cajun seasoning

• Spicy Montreal steak seasoning

• Brown sugar

• Apple cider vinegar

• Paprika

• Crushed red pepper

• Montreal steak seasoning

• Garlic salt

• Hamburger seasoning

• Cinnamon

• Whole oregano

• Dried onion

• Olive oil

• Vegetable oil

• American cheese

• Mustard

• Mayonnaise

• Dill relish

• White Rice

• Chicken Flavored Rice-a-Roni 

• Yellow potatoes.

• Corn

• Green beans

Out of this, I want to create a stunning dish.  You don't have to use all ingredients.  Include the sides, with their perspective seasonings.  I don't want it to be too spicy, just absolutely delicious.

Please give me the recipe and complete cooking instructions.  It will be cooked in the oven.

A few seconds later I had recipe for wonderful sounding Herb & Paprika Oven-Roasted Chicken Breast.  The ingredients included only, but not everything, of what was on my list.

Step 3

Assess the response and revise the prompt.

This is the recipe that Copilot gave me.  

Main Dish: Sweet & Savory Paprika Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients •     1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes •     2 tbsp olive oil (divided) •     1 tsp paprika •     ½ tsp garlic salt •     ½ tsp dried onions •     ½ tsp parsley flakes •     ½ tsp whole oregano (lightly crushed) •     1 tsp apple cider vinegar •     1 tsp brown sugar •     Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional, for gentle warmth) Vegetables (from your sides) •     1 cup green beans, trimmed •     1 cup corn kernels •     1 yellow potato, diced small (pre-roasted for texture)
Instructions

1.     Prepare rice base: Cook white rice (or Rice-a-Roni if you prefer) according to package instructions. Keep warm.
2.     Pre-roast potato: Dice yellow potato into small cubes, toss with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of garlic salt. Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes until golden. This gives the stir fry a hearty bite.
3.     Cook chicken: •     Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet. •     Add chicken cubes, paprika, garlic salt, dried onions, and oregano. Sauté until lightly golden (about 5–6 minutes).
4.     Add vegetables: Stir in green beans and corn. Cook for 3–4 minutes until beans are tender-crisp.
5.     Create glaze: In a small bowl, whisk apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Pour over chicken and veggies. Toss until glossy and slightly caramelized.
6.     Finish in oven: Transfer skillet to oven at 375°F for 10 minutes to meld flavors and finish cooking.
7.     Combine: Add roasted potato cubes back into the skillet, toss gently.
Serving •     Spoon hot rice onto a plate. •     Top generously with the stir fry, letting the sweet-savory glaze coat the rice. •     Garnish with parsley flakes for a fresh finish.
Flavor Profile •     Paprika & garlic salt → smoky, savory backbone •     Brown sugar & apple cider vinegar → sweet-tart glaze, restaurant polish •     Green beans & corn → crisp and sweet contrast •     Roasted potato cubes → hearty, golden texture

It wasn't even that hard to do.  It was sooooooo good.