Stop Asking AI Like a Robot
Tech Know-How
The Secret Sauce to Great Answers
It’s tempting to treat a large language model (LLM) like a search engine or a database — you input the bare minimum, and you expect perfection. But if you’re still typing things like “Write a story” or “What are mutual funds?”, you’re asking like a robot and getting robotic, generic results.
The real power of AI unlocks when you start communicating like a director, a journalist, or a curious friend.
The difference between a bad prompt and a great answer lies in three key ingredients: Context, Persona, and Tone. These elements transform a vague query into a focused command, ensuring the AI delivers exactly what you need.
🛑 Stop Asking This:
“Write about Indian cricket.”
✅ Start Asking This:
“Act as a witty cricket commentator. Write a concise 2-minute bullet-point summary of the India vs. Pakistan match for a social media audience.”
See the difference? We didn’t just ask what to write, we told it who to be, how long to make it, and who it’s for.
1. Ingredient One: The Power of Specificity (Context)
The primary fault of a “robot” prompt is its lack of detail. When you ask for a “story,” the AI has infinite possibilities, leading to a bland, safe output.
The Fix: Define the “Who,” “What,” and “Where.”
Look at the difference in the writing prompt from the comparison table:
The “Good Prompt” doesn’t just ask for a story; it adds layers of context:
- Perspective: First-person.
- Protagonist/Setting: Delhi street food vendor.
- Goal/Emotion: Evoke nostalgia.
By adding these details, you constrain the AI’s output space, forcing it to generate a richly detailed and emotionally resonant piece rather than a generic narrative.
2. Ingredient Two: Assigning a Role (Persona)
Humans adjust their communication style based on who they are talking to. Great prompt engineering applies the same principle: tell the AI who it is before you ask it to answer.
The Fix: Use “Act as…” or “You are a…”
Consider the financial example:
The “Bad Prompt” yields a technical, Wikipedia-style definition, which is often too dense or “confusing” for a novice.
The “Good Prompt” is a threefold advantage:
- Persona: “Act as an empathetic financial guru.” (This sets the expertise level and the desired mood.)
- Audience: “For a new investor.” (This dictates the required complexity level.)
- Format/Tone: “Explain… simply.” (This ensures accessibility.)
By assigning a persona, you leverage the model’s training on different writing styles, ensuring the output is tailored not just in content, but in voice and perspective.
3. Ingredient Three: Dictating the Delivery (Tone & Format)
The final ingredient is telling the AI how to package the information. This involves specifying the tone, length, and structure of the final output.
The Fix: Use action verbs and format constraints.
Ask the AI to:
- Summarize: “Summarize the findings in three concise bullet points.”
- Argue: “Argue the opposing viewpoint in a persuasive, authoritative tone.”
- Compare: “Create a side-by-side comparison table of the pros and cons.”
- Simplify: “Rewrite this section using only 5th-grade vocabulary.”
When you combine all three ingredients (Context + Persona + Tone/Format), you move from asking like a machine to collaborating like a professional.
The Secret Sauce Checklist
Before hitting send, run your prompt through these questions:
✅ Context: Is the topic specific? Have I included necessary details (time, place, subject)?
✅ Persona: Have I told the AI who it should pretend to be (expert, friend, critic)?
✅ Tone & Format: Have I specified how the answer should be delivered (concise, enthusiastic, formal, as a table)?
⚡ Always use clear, action-oriented commands (like “Summarise,” “Create,” “Draft”). No more vague requests!
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