AI at work 2 min

How to write a request to an AI: the five-point method

To get a useful answer from an AI, give it the context (who you are, who it is for), the goal, the expected format, an example of what you like and the limits to respect. A precise request gives a precise answer, whatever the assistant.

Contents4
  1. 01The method in five points
  2. 02What AI does not do for you
  3. 03What stays out of the request
  4. 04Find out where you stand

Most disappointing AI answers come from a request that is too short. “Write a follow-up email” gives a one-size-fits-all text; the same request with three sentences of context gives a text you can send. The method fits in five points and works with every assistant on the market.

In short

  • The context.

  • The goal.

  • The format.

  • An example.

  • The limits.

The method in five points

The context

Who you are, who the text is for, what happened before. “I am the purchasing manager, writing to a supplier we have worked with for five years who has delivered late twice.”

The goal

What the text must achieve, not just what it must say: a new deadline, an answer before Friday, a decision.

The format

Length, tone, structure: “ten lines at most, firm but friendly, three points at the end”. Without a format, the AI chooses for you.

An example

Paste a text you liked, yours or a colleague’s. The AI picks up tone and length far better than from a description.

The limits

What not to do: no discount promised, no figures quoted, no more than a page. And ask it to ask questions if information is missing.

What AI does not do for you

A good request improves the answer, it does not make it right. Facts, figures and commitments are always checked, as we explain in checking an AI answer. Choosing what you want to achieve stays yours.

What stays out of the request

Useful context is almost never sensitive data: “an important client” is enough, their name and details add nothing. Replace names, confidential amounts and personal data with neutral markers.

Find out where you stand

Before choosing a course, the most useful step is knowing where you start. Our AI skills test asks questions matched to your role and tells you, in a few minutes, what you already do well and what would save you the most time. For a whole team, AI training for teams starts from your real tasks, not from a generic course.

Jim · founder of Brain Plus AI

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