Enhance Conversations with Bots: Top 6 Strategies to Improve AI Chatbot Responses

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• Be Concise and Specific
• Set Frameworks or Guidelines
• Provide Context
• Avoid Slang and Acronyms
• Don’t Ask Multiple Questions at Once
• Rephrase Questions if You Don’t Get a Satisfactory Response
• Craft Better Prompts, Get Better Answers

Interacting with AI chatbots can be frustrating when you don’t get the hoped-for responses. Often, it’s not the chatbot’s fault–you may just need to adjust how you prompt it. We’ll guide you in crafting prompts that will get you better responses from your chatbot.

While we’ll use examples with ChatGPT (GPT 3.5), these principles apply to any generative AI chatbot you might use.

1. Be Concise and Specific

Interacting with AI chatbots is a two-way conversation. Just like with a friend, the more clearly you communicate your thoughts and needs, the better they can understand and assist you.

Watch your use of ambiguous language. Words and phrases like “thing,” “stuff,” or “a certain concept” are open to interpretation. Be as specific as possible by including relevant details, topics, keywords, technical terms, etc.

For example, asking ChatGPT something like “I was wondering if you could possibly help me understand this math concept I’ve been struggling with lately” doesn’t provide enough specifics.

Instead, we tried: “Can you explain how to factor quadratic equations?” This prompt clearly states what we need help with, allowing ChatGPT to explain factoring quadratics.

2. Set Frameworks or Guidelines

In addition to asking only clear and specific questions, you can set guidelines for the AI chatbot to follow. This can enhance the quality of the responses you get from it, ensuring that they meet your specific needs and requirements.

For example, you can instruct ChatGPT to adopt a specific style of writing , persona, or point of view. Ask it to act as a famous author, math tutor, or fictional character, specifying which details to focus on. In this case, our prompt to ChatGPT was, “From now on, act as Elon Musk, providing outputs reflecting how Elon Musk would respond,” followed by a question about political godfatherism. We’ll leave you to judge if the response sounded like what Elon Musk would give.

You can also reverse roles, with the AI chatbot asking you questions to accomplish a goal. For instance, if you were looking to have ChatGPT assist you in writing a story , you could prompt it like, “Please ask me questions to help me write a short story. Once you have enough information, create a summary of the plot.”

Furthermore, you can tailor the kind of response you get from a chatbot by specifying the target audience and desired tone. For example, we prompted ChatGPT to “explain the concept of gravity to a 5-year-old using simple words, examples, and analogies. Be friendly and encouraging.”

3. Provide Context

Unlike frameworks and guidelines, which give the chatbot roles to play, context clues the AI chatbot in on what background knowledge you already have on a topic and what gaps remain. Providing context refines the scope so you don’t end up with a whole textbook regurgitated when all you need is a single salient point.

A few choice details can steer the chatbot away from generic, ambiguous responses towards tailored, on-point recommendations. For example, the prompt “Give me some healthy living tips” leaves wide open how detailed or all-encompassing you want the response to be.

But suppose you specify upfront that you work long, sedentary hours and are most interested in actionable diet and exercise advice. Something like: “I’m looking for practical tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while working long hours in a sedentary job. What exercises and dietary habits do you recommend?” In this case, ChatGPT was able to cut through the noise and offer practical suggestions.

4. Avoid Slang and Acronyms

Remember that when chatting with an AI chatbot, it’s best to communicate clearly and avoid confusion. We humans often use slang or shorthand without thinking twice about it. But for a chatbot, phrases like “I’m dying!” when you’re laughing or “My boss is a psycho!” when complaining can be puzzling or concerning out of context.

AI chatbots tend to interpret words very literally. Without shared human experiences and cultural references, the meaning behind some casual language can get muddled. Sarcasm and irony are common stumbling blocks, too. If we say, “Great weather today…” while standing in the rain, our meaning doesn’t match our words. So, the more straightforward your words, the better they can respond suitably.

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5. Don’t Ask Multiple Questions at Once

Our curious human minds are bursting with things we want to know more about. So, it’s tempting to rapid-fire a bunch of questions all at once. However, it’s better to go slow with AI chatbots and ask questions one step at a time.

Think of it this way: if someone asked you three or four totally different questions back-to-back, you’d probably pause and ask them to slow down. You want to give each query enough attention and thought. AI chatbots function similarly. If we stick to a single question, the chatbot can focus its processing power on formulating one comprehensive response.

For example, when we asked ChatGPT mashed-up questions in one sentence, like “Tell me about the latest developments in renewable energy AND self-driving car safety protocols AND theories on the origin of the universe,” it resulted in short, very generalized, surface-level answers at best.

However, asking one question at a time, like “Can you explain the latest developments in renewable energy?” spurred the chatbot to offer an in-depth explanation on that one subject.

So, be focused and methodical, only moving to a new topic once you’re satisfied with the chatbot’s previous response.

6. Rephrase Questions if You Don’t Get a Satisfactory Response

AI chatbots can get tripped up or give vague (or hallucinatory) responses if the wording isn’t super clear. So, you should rephrase your question if that happens. Play around with using different terms, specifying details you want covered, or asking it from different angles. Chances are a slightly tweaked version of your question will get you to a more satisfying answer. It can be annoying to have to rework things, but it pays off when you finally get the chatbot to understand exactly what you need from it. Think of it like talking to a friend; you sometimes have to explain things in different ways for them to fully get it and give you the response you’re hoping for!

For example, if you ask, “What precipitated the stock market crash of 1929?” and get something vague or useless, try rephrasing it like this: “What exactly caused the huge economic disaster in 1929 when stocks totally tanked?” See, the same question but chilled out. Explain it conversationally like you’re talking to a friend.

Craft Better Prompts, Get Better Answers

AI chatbots are smart (and are probably getting smarter by the day), but you still need the right approach to get the most out of them. Ask clear, specific questions, use natural language, start simple, and don’t get frustrated. With practice and patience, you’ll chat smoothly and quickly get the information you need. The key is starting a conversation, not an interrogation.