AI for Old People
You Don’t Need to Be Good at “Prompting”
You don’t need special commands, complicated formulas, or a course in “prompt engineering” to get useful answers from AI.
You may already have heard people talking about AI prompts and “prompt engineering.”
It can make using AI sound much more complicated than it really is.
A prompt is simply what you type or say to AI.
And there’s one very simple change that can make ChatGPT give you much better answers:
Give it a little context — and tell it to ask questions if it needs more information.
You don’t have to get everything right the first time.
🤖WHAT AI CAN DO FOR YOU
You can talk to ChatGPT like you would talk to a person.
Prompting
Imagine asking someone:
“Where should I go on vacation?”
They could give you an answer.
But they really don’t know enough about you yet.
Do you like beaches or mountains?
Are you travelling for a weekend or three weeks?
Are you looking for relaxation or adventure?
Locally or somewhere farther?
ChatGPT has exactly the same problem.
If you simply type:
“Where should I go on vacation?”
you’ll probably get a very general answer.
But give it a little more information:
“I’m looking for a relaxing one-week vacation somewhere warm this winter. I’m travelling from Edmonton and I don’t want an extremely long flight.”
Now ChatGPT has something to work with.
And there’s an easy way to make it even better:
Tell ChatGPT to ask you questions.
Instead of trying to think of everything yourself, let AI figure out what information it still needs.
👣TRY IT
Open ChatGPT and ask it for help with something you’re actually interested in.
Chat GPT Prompt
It could be planning a trip, organizing a project, choosing a gift, learning something new or solving a problem around the house.
Start naturally.
Then add this one sentence:
Copy This Prompt
“Ask me questions if you need more information before you answer.”
For example:
“Help me plan a one-week vacation somewhere warm this winter. Ask me questions if you need more information before you answer.”
ChatGPT may ask:
What’s your budget?
When do you want to travel?
Do you prefer a beach, resort or sightseeing?
Are you willing to travel outside Canada?
How long are you comfortable flying?
Answer the questions just like you were having a conversation.
You don’t need to write the perfect prompt.
You can let ChatGPT help you build it.
One More Trick
If ChatGPT gives you an answer that isn’t quite right, don’t start over.
Just tell it what you want changed.
Try:
“Make that simpler.”
“Give me three other ideas.”
“Explain that without the technical language.”
“That’s too expensive. Give me cheaper options.”
“I don’t like those. Ask me a few more questions.”
“Make this shorter.”
That back-and-forth conversation is often where AI becomes really useful.
⭐AI WORTH TRYING
ChatGPT
For now, I want you to keep using ChatGPT rather than jumping between a dozen different AI tools.
I recommend the Free plan.
https://chatgpt.com/plans/free/
There are lots of AI products available, and we’ll explore some of them in future issues.
But ChatGPT is a great place to learn one of the most important AI skills:
Having a conversation with AI instead of trying to give it perfect instructions.
The goal isn’t to become an expert at writing prompts.
The goal is to get AI to help you accomplish something.
🎥WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Want more simple, practical ways to use AI in everyday life?
Watch AI for Old People on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@AIForOldPeople
🔗 Know someone who’d find this useful? Share it.
⏭️NEXT WEEK
AI gave you an answer. But should you trust it?
Next week, I’ll show you one of the most important things to understand about using AI — why ChatGPT can sometimes sound completely confident and still be wrong.
And more importantly, what you can do about it.
See you next week,
Ron - AI for Old People
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Disclaimer: AI for Old People is an educational media publication designed to help readers understand and use artificial intelligence in everyday life. AI tools can make mistakes, provide outdated information, or generate inaccurate answers. Always verify important information before making decisions, especially involving health, legal, financial, or other significant matters.
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