Learn to ask questions about projects and dance with AI

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This article is written by Zheng Weiquan and was originally published in “Technice Island”

In my last column, I introduced you to the good use of questioning framework technology to enhance the answer quality of AI tools. After reading the article, a serious netizen wrote to me to discuss related issues. So, in today’s article, let me continue to talk to you about related issues.

When we step into the wonderful world of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, it’s like opening a door to future technologies. In this world, ChatGPT is like an omniscient and omnipotent electronic librarian, ready to answer every question you have. But if we want to get the most out of this dedicated librarian, we need to learn how to communicate with it. Yes, this is the so-called “Precise Question”.

Imagine walking into a huge library and discovering to your surprise that it contains a rich collection of books that contain all human knowledge. This librarian ChatGPT is standing there, ready to answer all your questions. But if you just randomly ask, “What’s the world like?” it might be confused and not know where to begin with the answer. It’s like you walk into a restaurant and say to the waiter, “Bring me something delicious.” The waiter will definitely be confused about what you want to eat. Is it shrimp fried rice? Or tomato sauce pasta?

But if you ask it: “In the field of environmental protection technology, what are the major innovations and developments in the world in the past five years?” Such a question is relatively simple and clear, as if you told the waiter: “I want a low-fat vegetarian salad.” At this time, ChatGPT is like a skilled chef, able to accurately cook the knowledge feast you want according to your specific needs.

So, how can we achieve precise questions? Let’s explain with a vivid metaphor: Clarity: Your problem should be like a bowl of clear water, free of cloudy impurities. In other words, avoiding vague words is like avoiding stirring up mud in clear water.

• Concreteness: Asking questions is like drawing a clear route on a map. The question should be detailed enough to let ChatGPT know where you want to go? It’s like being a tour guide who knows exactly which attractions you want to visit.
• Purpose: Your questions should make it clear what type of answer you want, much like your taste preferences when ordering food at a restaurant.
• Relevance: The question should be closely related to the topic of discussion, just like a wonderful chapter of a good novel, each paragraph is closely related to the topic.
• Simplicity: A good question is like a concise new poem. Although it is short in length, it is full of charm and meaning, without unnecessary redundant words.

As you can see, asking precise questions is as much an art as it is a science. It requires us to think strategically, just like playing chess, and carefully consider every move. When we learn to ask precise questions, we can obtain richer and more accurate knowledge from ChatGPT, the all-powerful librarian.

Now, let us turn to a more fascinating topic - “[Prompt Project](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/Prompt Project)”. This is a discipline that studies how to interact with natural language processing models such as ChatGPT, Claude or Google Bard. We can think of this as a dance with AI. In this dance, every prompt you give is like a dance step, guiding the AI ​​to move along a specific rhythm and direction.

For example, when you give ChatGPT an open-ended question, it’s like a free dance, letting it soar freely in a vast ocean of knowledge. But when you give it a very specific and structured question, it’s like a strict waltz and have it follow a certain rhythm and steps to answer your question.

In this dance, it is important to know how to guide the AI ​​so that it can maximize its capabilities. This requires us to deeply understand how AI works and creatively design problems to achieve our goals.

For example, if you want to get in-depth analysis of market trends from ChatGPT, you can’t just ask: “How is the market?” Instead, you should ask: “Given recent global economic changes, what will be the main market trends in e-commerce over the next five years?” Such questions are like a carefully choreographed dance, with each step being clear and clear, guiding the AI ​​towards providing in-depth, valuable answers.

In short, precise questioning and prompt engineering are not only the key to communicating with AI, but also a display of wisdom. Through carefully crafted questions, we can channel these powerful tools and uncover deeper knowledge and insights. Just like a dancer carefully arranges every move on the stage, we also need to accurately control every step in this dance with AI.

Learning tips to interact with ChatGPT more effectively is like learning a new language, or more accurately, a new art of communication. This process is both challenging and fun.

The following are some specific learning steps and strategies, as well as some application cases in the workplace:

Learning steps and strategies

1. Understand the basic principles:

• Model capabilities and limitations: First, understand the basic functions, knowledge scope and limitations of ChatGPT. For example, its data cut-off date (April 2023), depth of understanding of a specific topic, etc.
• The importance of context: Recognize how much the context of a prompt affects the AI’s answers. You know, different prompts will lead the AI ​​to produce different answers.

3. Practice and reflection:

• Practice asking questions: Ask the same questions in different ways and observe the differences in ChatGPT’s answers.
• Reflect and adjust: Adjust your questions based on the quality of your answers. Look for what types of questions get the best answers.

5. Learning of specialized skills:

• Study Cases: Read articles or case studies about Tips Engineering to learn how others are using ChatGPT effectively?
• Participate in the community: Participate in relevant online forums, societies or social media to learn and share experiences from the community.

7. Continuously experiment:

• Be creative: Don’t be afraid to try new ways of asking questions. Sometimes, unconventional ways of asking questions can lead to unexpectedly good answers.
• Track progress: Record your questions and the AI’s responses, which helps you understand which strategies work best.

Workplace application cases

1. Market Analysis: Scenario: Suppose you are a market analyst and need to understand the latest trends in a specific industry.

• Traditional question: “Tell me about the latest automotive industry trends?”
• Accurate question: “In the past two years, what are the key technological innovations and market changes in the global [electric vehicle](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/electric vehicle) market?”
• Result: Accurate questions help obtain more focused and detailed industry analysis.

3. Project Management: Scenario: Let’s say you are a project manager looking for ways to improve your team’s effectiveness.

• Traditional question: “How to improve team efficiency?”
• Accurate question: “For software development teams, what proven agile management techniques can significantly increase project delivery speed in the short term?”
• Result: Get more specific answers that speak directly to specific situations and solutions.

5. Business Strategy Development: Scenario: You are a corporate strategy consultant helping clients develop new business models.

• Traditional question: “What are the latest [Business Models](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business Models)?”

• Accurate question: “In the current global economic environment, which innovative business models are bringing changes to the retail industry?”

• Result: Answers will be more focused on the current economic environment and the realities of the specific industry.

Overall, learning prompt engineering is a dynamic and interesting process that requires continuous practice and adjustment. With the passage of time and the accumulation of experience, you will gradually master the skills of effective communication with ChatGPT, and then use this powerful tool more effectively in the workplace.

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Further reading

• Make good use of AI tools and master the learning methods of adults
• Skillfully use ChatGPT to provide suggestions for changing work tracks

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