Skip to Main Content

ChatGPT, AI, and Information Literacy

Effective Prompts for Generative AI Search

AI generated misinformation (called hallucinations) can largely be avoided by crafting an effective prompt. A prompt is simply a command give to a generative AI agent that is mean to elicit desired content. When using Generative AI for search the prompt acts a bit like a natural language search statement. In general Prompts should:

  • Provide context or assign a role.
  • Be specific and give examples
  • Provide Do's and Don'ts
  • Detail how you would like the output formatted.
  • Keep engaging with the Generative AI tool so that it can revise its output to really get to what you're asking it to do. 

The more you know about a topic the better you will be at creating effective and successful prompt!