Instead of deep dive or long explanation about AI tools available, this article will just list some practical tips for making an AI request more useful. The following suggestions apply to your chats with ChatGPT, Gemini, Le Chat (Mistral), Claude, or programs that utilize multiple AI models like Perplexity or Manus.
If you are just using an AI chat like you would use a browser search for things like getting the definition of a word or looking up a dress shop, then form your question as usual: “Where is *name of shop*” or “Define *word for which you want the meaning*”. But, for more robust requests, try some of the following tips.
- Be specific and detailed. Instead of asking “give me some easy recipes for dinner”, you might form a question more like: I need three nights of dinner recipes where I can use leftover ingredients for other night’s dishes. I have chicken and some vegetables on hand. Don’t suggest anything with fish or red meat and I prefer low carb options and recipes without a lot of ingredients.
- Continue your conversations about similar topics instead of always starting a new chat. For the previous example, after you get some recipes, you might fine tune the request with another instruction on the same chat like Change the recipes that included onions and don’t suggest any more with onions or cilantro. (As an aside, we don’t know why you wouldn’t want cilantro in your recipes, but you do you!)
- If you are asking about a topic you find confusing, add that detail and give instructions that you need details that would be given to a complete beginner. Example: Explain computer networking to me in a summary of a few paragraphs. I know a little about computers but explain it to me like I’m a complete beginner. If the solution includes words you don’t know, ask follow up questions and refine your request, such as I don’t exactly know the terms “router” and “gateway”. Break things down for me, even if the explanation goes beyond a few paragraphs.
- This article will be continued and added to over the next few days and most likely will be updated over time.