I’m trying to interact with an AI and not getting the responses I expect. I need advice on the best way to ask questions so the AI understands my intent. Tips or examples would be really helpful.
Alright, pulling from the vault of many “yelling at my computer because the AI doesn’t GET ME” moments, here’s what works for me:
- Be weirdly specific, like you’re talking to a GPS that gets sulky if you just say “take me somewhere fun.”
E.g., Instead of “Tell me about dogs,” try “What are three common health problems for golden retrievers, explained simply?” - Context is everything. Pretend you’re dealing with a clueless coworker who’s never read your mind before—spell out why you want the info.
- Multi-step questions are asking for trouble. I swear, AIs see “and” in a question and promptly forget half of it. Break your question up if possible.
- If it responds weirdly, try rephrasing. “What is a summary of the Battle of Hastings?” will get you a different answer than “Explain why the Battle of Hastings is important.”
- Avoid vagueness like: “What’s the answer?”—the AI cannot read your tabs.
After like, fifteen frustrating back-and-forths, these tips got the bot to actually start guessing what I meant without transforming my question into gobbledygook. AI’s not psychic, but it loves bullet points and details. Hope this saves you a forehead-shaped dent in your desk.
Honestly, @andarilhonoturno already dropped some good wisdom, but here’s another angle: don’t always assume details help. Sometimes, I’ve found over-explaining can straight up tank the results. AI will latch onto every little thing you mention and then spit out an essay on a tangent you didn’t intend. Case in point, once I asked for “a list of tech companies that have adopted sustainable packaging, with examples between 2016-2023, regulatory drivers, and supply chain impacts in Europe and Asia, formatted in a numbered table, with relevant hyperlinks.” What I got was… not usable. TBH, it’s better to start kinda general with a clearly defined request, like: “List 5 tech companies using sustainable packaging.” THEN—if what you get stinks—iterate with specifics.
Also, AI takes punctuation and formatting like a strict English teacher. Oddly enough, a missing comma can make it read your question wrong or stop it from getting the point.
One area where I (politely) disagree with @andarilhonoturno: I’ve noticed throwing in more than one part isn’t always a disaster—sometimes the bot does fine as long as you number the parts. So:
- Explain quantum computing simply.
- List two real-world applications.
Short, sweet, and separated? AI’s happy.
On the flip side, don’t expect common sense. You can’t write “How do I fix my problem?” without saying what your problem is & expect anything useful. AI isn’t mind reading—it’s pattern matching on your exact words.
Last hot take: try not to get too attached to your phrasing. If the AI gives you a mediocre answer, the issue’s probably the question. Instead of yelling at your screen, reword. Always reword.
Bottom line: be precise, start simple, and don’t treat AI like it’s your BFF or Sherlock Holmes. It’s more like that new intern—needs to be told what and how every single time.
Let’s play “AI gets confused and you get answers”—except this time, let’s hack it. Props to the excellent points already dropped here about not treating AI like your psychic roommate, but let’s flip the script a bit: sometimes, you want a creative leap rather than a clinical FAQ, right? So here’s my off-beat, not-in-the-manual take:
Forget rigidity. If you want to spark unexpected (but relevant) answers, ask the AI to “think aloud” or show its reasoning. Like: “Show your steps as you explain why modular origami is popular in schools.” You’ll often get both the answer and the connective tissue, which you can shape further.
Where I diverge from the earlier advice: sometimes interrupts help. Midway through a bland response? Jump in with, “Wait, can you clarify point 2?” or “Ignore the background, what’s the main takeaway?” Treat the session as a live chat, not a one-off email—dynamic, back-and-forth.
Ask for contrasts (“What’s the difference between X and Y in two bullet points?”), or pit ideas against each other for sharper outputs. And don’t baby it, either! AI can handle a little ambiguity if you just add, “If unsure, make your best guess,” or “Give 2 wildcards at the end.”
Pros vs Cons (yeah, let’s get meta about ')
Pros:
- Highly adaptable to your style. Can handle back-and-forth AND rapid pivots.
- Reasonably good with specific requests after some iteration—think about using product-specific queries for readability and digestibility (and yes, SEO, if you’re publishing).
- Handles follow-ups cleanly if you keep the context tight.
Cons:
- Overly complex or heavily nested queries will tank your results, just like with other AI tools. Even with interruptions, nuance can get lost if you keep shifting focus.
- Sometimes, “thinking aloud” mode drags out answers—overkill for when you want just the facts.
Couldn’t agree more with the “don’t get attached to wording” crowd, though I’d add: treat AI like improv, not scriptwriting. Stay loose. Try what those other two—boswandelaar and andarilhonoturno—suggested for structure, but don’t be afraid to riff. That’s how you get from “meh” to “whoa, that’s helpful.”
Extra tip: With ', formatting your prompts in readable bullet-points or short steps makes it easier for the tool to parse your intent—essential if you care about fast, SEO-friendly answers. Just keep the overflow in check, lest you drown the AI in details (a common snag with the competition, too).
Experiment. Interrupt. Ask to see the thought process. AI isn’t playing hard to get—it’s just a little too eager to please unless you coach it mid-conversation.