AI how-to: 10 prompts to try with ChatGPT or your favorite bot

AI how-to: 10 prompts to try with ChatGPT or your favorite bot
© Korakot Taechakan | Dreamstime.com, ChatGPT.com

Twenty-five-odd years ago, CBS and ABC execs told me tech was just a fad and passed on my national radio show. So, I syndicated it myself. The rest is history.

Now, I hear the same thing about AI: It’s a phase, and it won’t last. Hate to break it to you, but AI is here to stay, and it’s already changing everything. Start using it now or risk getting left behind.

So, what chatbot should you use?

There are so many options, but OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the most reliable I’ve found. I pay $20 a month for Pro, but a free account is fine for most folks. (Call me, Sam Altman. I’d love a freebie.)

If you want to use Chinese-built DeepSeek’s snazzy new R1 model, try it through Perplexity. It’s hosted in the U.S. and doesn’t have all the Communist China guardrails you find on the DeepSeek site.

The big caveat: You only get five free R1 searches per day. For unlimited, upgrade to Perplexity Pro for $20. Or use it for free and you’ll just get answers from a different AI model.

Now, what should you ask? The world is your oyster.

10 prompts to save and try later

1. “How can I make this better?”
Then, add in anything you’ve written. This prompt works wonders for polishing your work and pointing out improvements. Make it better by adding some context, such as “for my team or customers.”

2. “You’re an English professor. Find any typos or grammatical errors in my blog post.”
Change up the persona you’re asking it to assume and the specific instructions based on what you need. You can use this formula for just about anything. Try “You’re a life coach. Help me create a plan to achieve my goal of meditating every day for a month.”

3. “How do you know?”
This one is powerful if you’re not sure AI made something up or you just want to know the original source. Try it next time you get a suspicious answer to force AI to reveal its sources … or admit when it’s guessing. I often add to that, “I think your numbers are wrong. Double-check everything.”

4. “Remember that …”
In ChatGPT, go to Settings > Personalization and toggle on Memory. The same thing is available on Google Gemini for Advanced (paid) subscribers. Tell it something like, “Remember, I’m a tea drinker, not a coffee drinker,” and it’ll save that info.

5. “Analyze this information. Explain any trends or insights you find.”
Plug in a list of numbers or any other data. Uploading a picture works, too.

6. “What’s missing?”
This works for everything from your vacation packing list to an important work report. The more information you provide on what should be included, the better the answer you’ll get back.

7. “Who are their competitors?”
You’re researching a new service for your business and don’t know who to compare it to, or maybe you’re looking for new sales prospects. Take the list with a grain of salt; some results could be outdated. Ask for dates associated with any data.

8. “Give me five creative ideas for …”
Stuck in a rut? Ask for new ideas for birthday gifts, business names or dinner recipes.

9. “Summarize this in three sentences.”
Try it for breaking down long articles, contracts or reports into takeaways. You can also ask for bullet points if your brain processes info better that way.

10. “Explain both sides of this argument.”
This works for politics, trends, personal dilemmas or anything else you can throw at a chatbot.

Word to the wise: Think of AI as your first step, not your last

AI is a fantastic tool to help you brainstorm, speed up your work and teach you new things, but it’s not perfect. It doesn’t think for itself. It just predicts the next best response based on the data it’s been trained on.

AI tools can make mistakes, provide outdated information or totally miss the mark. Always double-check anything important, especially when it comes to work, finances or legal matters.

🎁 A freebie from me to you: That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m giving away my latest e‑book, “50 Smart Ways to Use AI.” Woohoo, a $10 guide for free. Share that link with a friend, too, to make their day.

Tags: gifts, Google