FOREWORD
In late 2022, the idea of writing a book on a software program with no code, hotkeys, parameters, and a minimalist user interface seemed nonsensical to me. Yet, within a week of its release, Amazon.com was inundated with numerous ultimate guide books on ChatGPT, authored by the AI language model itself and uploaded by those quick to seize the opportunity.
I was also skeptical about this new tool. I had experimented with it and while its prose and speed were impressive, it seemed to lack the precision of a human writer and the ability to stay on point. Over the next few weeks, I spent more time observing, testing, and thinking about the limitations of the language model. I tested different strategies to overcome ChatGPT’s inefficiencies, while focusing on use cases that could support my work as a technical writer. With these strategies in hand, I quickly integrated ChatGPT into my daily work routine and I upgraded to a Pro subscription.
As I was finding ways to streamline my day job, I assumed everyone else was using ChatGPT to work more efficiently as well. Despite the benefits that ChatGPT had brought to my work, few of my friends and colleagues were using it. As someone who had experienced firsthand the power and flexibility of ChatGPT's advanced language capabilities, I couldn't help but feel that they were missing out on a tool that could help them complete work tasks more efficiently. I decided to share with them the strategies and tips that had helped me get the most out of ChatGPT, hoping that it would inspire them to utilize the platform more effectively.
Through this process, I recognized several misconceptions and false expectations that needed to be addressed. The first misconception is that ChatGPT is an alternative to Google. Despite its extensive knowledge base, many new users mistakenly view ChatGPT as a web-search tool, unaware that the model isn't actually connected to the Internet!
The second misconception is you need to talk to ChatGPT like it’s a search algorithm or a voice-activated assistant. Rather than interacting with ChatGPT like a human equivalent, users often focus their attention on choosing the right keywords and keeping their requests extremely simple. Unlike Google Search or Siri, which can falter with nuanced or intricate queries, ChatGPT actually thrives in understanding and responding to detailed and complex requests. Rather than matching individual keywords with a response, ChatGPT analyzes the intention behind the user’s words and produces responses similar to what you would expect from a human on the other end of the chat. This means that users should converse with ChatGPT as they would with another person, without needing to simplify their words.
Third, ChatGPT is easy to use. Despite its minimalist user interface, ChatGPT is a highly open-ended environment with none of the usual handholding that comes with most software-as-a-service. Unlike other AI writing software, such as Jasper and Copy AI, ChatGPT doesn’t have a dashboard of clickable modules tailored to specific scenarios such as social media or blog post writing that prompt the user to fill in a list of input variables. Confronted with an empty chat screen, users must rely on their text prompt writing skills to generate content—a relatively new skillset that has only just gone mainstream. As a result, using ChatGPT can be a daunting prospect for many users, particularly those who aren’t accustomed to the art and practice of text prompt engineering.
This was the biggest hurdle for me in starting my own journey with ChatGPT. While I found extensive collections of AI text prompts online, I was disappointed by the lack of guidance on prompt writing principles and strategies that would help improve my prompt writing skills. I was eager to learn about the specific qualities that make a text prompt effective, rather than relying on someone’s list of generic text prompts (likely spun up by ChatGPT).
Around this time, I had just completed writing a book on Generative AI Art for Beginners. Through this project, I explored text prompts for generating art using DALL-E (ChatGPT’s artistic sibling) and other text-to-image software services. Using my knowledge of text-to-image prompt writing techniques including modifiers and negative prompting, I started conducting experiments with ChatGPT. At the same time, I began training ChatGPT using my own sample data, which enabled the model to perform new tasks based on my input data.
Recognizing that others could benefit from these experiments, I set aside my initial reluctance to publish a book about ChatGPT, and I began writing this brief guide on the topic of text prompt engineering.
Drawing on my findings over the last four months, this guide is designed to assist you in generating better outputs from ChatGPT. I also hope that book will be a valuable resource for those looking to maximize the potential of ChatGPT and lean into the rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI.
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