How-to: Prompt Engineer using Artificial Intelligence

What is Prompt Engineering and Why is it important?

Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot are transforming the workplace in numerous ways. Whether it's serving as a personal aide in organizing and summarizing documents or functioning as a research tool, AI has become an indispensable asset in various organizational departments.

• What is Prompt Engineering? Understanding prompt engineering is crucial. Prompt engineering involves crafting queries that generative AI models can process effectively to deliver optimal results.

• Why is Prompt Engineering important? The quality of AI-generated responses is directly proportional to the input it receives. In essence, better prompts yield better outcomes.

Here are several tips and strategies to enhance your prompt engineering skills:

Instructions

1. Write Clear Instructions:

   • Clear and Detailed Prompt: Instead of "Write a blog post," specify "Write a 500-word blog post on sustainable living practices, including sections on renewable energy."

2. Provide Reference Text:

   • Using Reference Texts: "Based on the provided French Revolution PDF, summarize the causes and effects of the event."

3. Split Complex Tasks to Simpler Subtasks:

   • Simplifying Tasks: Instead of "Plan a market entry," break it down to "Identify target customers, list potential competitors, suggest marketing strategies."

4. Provide Examples:

   • Example Prompting: "Draft a reply email to a client who has made an urgent data request. Use the style and tone of the following example emails provided to ensure consistency in communication." (provide previous example emails)

5. Use External Documents:

   • Document Prompting: "Draft an email to the Marketing Director presenting our current Big 4 data breakdown. Use the details provided in the attached Excel spreadsheet titled 'Big 4 Data' as your reference. Ensure the email summarizes the key points clearly and concisely."

6. Specifying desired output length:

   • Specifying Length: "Summarize this Cybersecurity Best Practices document into 3 sentences."

Note: Co-Pilot is available on most Microsoft Products