Improving ChatGPT Prompts with Priming

In AI, how we interact with chatbots can significantly impact the quality of the responses we receive. Le’s delve into a technique known as “Priming” to enhance the effectiveness of prompts used with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Understanding Priming

Priming is a method of formulating better results by inputting related information before requesting a response from ChatGPT. It allows for variability in your GPT chat dialogue, eliminates the need to create multiple chats, produces more precise results, and improves your overall experience.

Levels of Priming

The videos introduce different priming levels, each offering a more sophisticated approach to interacting with ChatGPT.

Level 1: Basic Prompt

At this level, there’s no priming involved. The user inputs a basic prompt, and the AI responds. However, the response often lacks continuity, specificity, and direction.

Prompt: “Tell me a fact about pizza.”

Level 2: Contextual Prompt

Here, the prompt provides context and specific direction. This level improves the quality of the response, making it more single-threaded and cohesive.

Prompt: “As an AI with extensive knowledge of culinary history, can you tell me a fact about the origin of pizza?”

Level 3: Style-Based Prompt

This level involves providing an example of the desired style and asking the AI to produce content in a similar style. The result is a more refined output that aligns with the user’s preferences.

Prompt: “Please act as a food critic and describe a pizza in the style of a review for a gourmet food magazine.”

Level 4: Component-Based Prompt

This involves a more complex process of analyzing a piece of content (like pizza), breaking it down into components, and then asking the AI to write content based on these components. This method offers a high degree of customization and precision.

Prompt: “Analyze the following statement: ‘The perfect pizza is a harmony of fresh dough, tangy sauce, and melted cheese.’ Break it down into its components and then write a new statement about pizza using the same components.”

Level 5: Variable-Based Prompt

The most advanced level of priming involves defining several variables before requesting a response from ChatGPT. These variables are then used to create specific content. This method offers the most incredible flexibility and precision.

Prompt: “I’m going to provide you with two variables. Variable 1 is ‘Neapolitan pizza’, and Variable 2 is ‘New York-style pizza’. Now, as an AI with a deep understanding of culinary styles, please write a comparison of these two types of pizza.”

Applying Level 4 and 5 Priming

Let us review the process:

1) Analyze a Piece of Content:

Start by selecting a piece of content about pizza that you find interesting. This could be a pizza recipe, a review of a pizza restaurant, or a description of a type of pizza. The goal is to understand the structure and style of the content.

Example Prompt: “Analyze the following pizza description: ‘The Margherita pizza features a thin, crisp crust, tangy tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a sprinkling of basil leaves.’ What are the components of this description?”

2) Create a Table of Components:

Once you’ve analyzed the content, the next step is creating a component table. Each component represents a part of the content that you analyzed.  A “Table of Components” is a handy reference guide for discussing pizza. It helps you break down and organize the essential elements of a pizza description. It’s like having a structured checklist that ChatGPT can use to create new and delicious pizza descriptions based on those components.

Imagine you’re analyzing a pizza description. The table would have two columns: one for the different aspects of the pizza, such as the crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings, and another column explaining what each aspect represents. This table is a helpful tool for instructing ChatGPT to develop a new pizza description using those components.

Creating a Table of Components for pizza helps you and ChatGPT stay organized and ensures you’re on the same page when describing the perfect pizza. It’s like having a friendly guide to help you and ChatGPT create mouthwatering descriptions that will make your taste buds tingle.

Example Prompt: “Based on the pizza description analyzed, create a table of components. What are the key elements that make up the description?”

3) Define Variables:

Define variables by providing examples of the desired style. For example, if you’re asking ChatGPT to write a pizza description, you might define a variable as “Neapolitan style” or “New York style”.

Example Prompt: “Define two variables for writing a pizza description. Variable 1 is ‘Neapolitan style’, and Variable 2 is ‘New York style’.”

Variables are great in ChatGPT; here are several other examples of how to use them:

• • Example 1: Writing a Story Define Variables: “Variable 1 is a ‘mysterious forest’, Variable 2 is a ‘brave heroine’, and Variable 3 is a ‘hidden treasure’.” Use Variables: “Using Variables 1, 2, and 3, write a short adventure story.”
  • Example 2: Creating a Joke Define Variables: “Variable 1 is ‘animal humor’, Variable 2 is ‘puns’.” Use Variables: “Using Variables 1 and 2, create a funny joke about animals.”
  • Example 3: Describing a Scene Define Variables: “Variable 1 is ‘sunset on a beach’, Variable 2 is ‘romantic atmosphere’.” Use Variables: “Using Variables 1 and 2, describe a romantic scene on a beach at sunset.”
  • Example 4: Writing a Recipe Define Variables: “Variable 1 is ‘Italian cuisine’, Variable 2 is ‘vegetarian dish’.” Use Variables: “Using Variables 1 and 2, write a recipe for a vegetarian Italian dish.”
  • Example 5: Creating a Dialogue Define Variables: “Variable 1 is ‘sci-fi setting’, Variable 2 is ‘alien character’, Variable 3 is ‘human character’.” Use Variables: “Using Variables 1, 2, and 3, write a dialogue between an alien and a human in a sci-fi setting.”

In these examples, the variables serve as guiding parameters for ChatGPT, helping it generate responses that align with the user’s requirements.

4) Instruct ChatGPT:

Now, you ask ChatGPT to write content based on the variables and the components associated with the variables.

Example Prompt: “Now, as an AI with a deep understanding of culinary styles, please describe a pizza that combines the variables ‘Neapolitan style’ and ‘New York style’.”

5) Adjust Variables or Components:

The final step is to adjust the variables or components as needed. This allows you to get different outputs without having to start over.

Example Prompt: “Let’s adjust the variables. Change ‘Neapolitan style’ to ‘Chicago style’ and ‘New York style’ to ‘Detroit style’. Now, please write a description of a pizza that combines the new variables ‘Chicago style’ and ‘Detroit style’.”

The Power of Priming

Priming offers a more efficient way to interact with ChatGPT. By properly priming ChatGPT, users can create variability within a single chat without repeatedly starting over. It also allows for greater flexibility and precision in the responses generated by ChatGPT.

Priming is a powerful technique that can significantly enhance the effectiveness of prompts used with ChatGPT. By understanding and applying the different priming levels, users can get more precise and varied responses that align with their preferences.