The Problem with Prompting… and What it Really is

Author(s): Louis-François Bouchard

Originally published on Towards AI.

Advanced Prompting: Because Basic Instructions Were Just Too Boring

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Let’s discuss the current problem with prompting—more precisely, “advanced prompting” and those who call themselves “prompt engineers.”

Despite all the hype around “advanced” prompting techniques, it’s really just about telling the model what you want in plain language.

It’s all about good communication.

Giving directions — be clear, be concise, and maybe add some examples if you’re feeling generous.

Here’s our short opinion piece on prompting. We’ll start by covering the basics and sprinkle in some so-called “advanced” techniques, which are mostly just common sense wrapped in fancy terminology.

A prompt is the input or instruction given to a model to generate text. Designing an effective prompt can significantly enhance the quality and relevance of the model’s responses. But there’s nothing too complex. It’s just good communication — tell what you want clearly and concisely, and add examples if you can.

In their simplest form, prompts can be questions or instructions, e.g., asking a model to complete a sentence:

Prompt: “Complete this sentence: The sky is”Output: “The sky is blue during the day and dark at night.”

While this is elementary, more context or detailed… Read the full blog for free on Medium.

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Published via Towards AI