Things to Avoid when Prompting AI to Create Perfect Results

Have you ever tried using AI to create something amazing, but the results weren't what you envisioned? You're not alone!

AI is a powerful tool, but getting the perfect outcome can take some finesse. This blog post will reveal the secret pitfalls to avoid when crafting your AI prompts. By understanding these common roadblocks, you'll be well on your way to using it to its full potential and turning your creative ideas into stunning realities!

What is an AI Prompt?

An AI prompt is like a simple instruction you give a helpful AI assistant. It can be a question, a sentence, or even some code. By giving the AI a clear idea of what you want, like a story idea or a specific design style, the AI can use its knowledge to create something just for you!

There are different types of prompts that can range from simple requests like "Write a short poem about autumn" to more complex ones that involve multiple steps or specific formatting.

The quality and specificity of the prompt play a crucial role in determining the relevance and usefulness of the AI's generated output. That is why making sure that you write the right prompt is key to getting the perfect results.

If you’re not so sure how to create a good AI prompt, this article about creating the perfect prompt to get killer results is for you!

But in today’s article, we’re gonna focus on the important things you need to avoid when crafting your prompts. So let’s go!

Things to Avoid when Prompting AI

Vague or Ambiguous Prompts

Example: "Create a good story." This prompt is too broad and doesn't provide enough guidance for the AI to generate a satisfactory result. The AI may struggle to determine what constitutes a "good" story, as this term is subjective and open to interpretation.

Instead, try: "Write a 500-word short story about a young person overcoming a personal challenge." This prompt gives the AI a specific length, a target audience (young person), and a clear narrative focus (overcoming a challenge). These details help the AI understand the desired outcome more clearly.

Conflicting or Contradictory Instructions

Example: "Create a happy, uplifting story, but also make it very sad and depressing." These instructions are contradictory and will confuse the AI. The AI may be unsure how to reconcile the opposing emotions and tones required for the story.

Instead, try: "Write a story about a person who overcomes adversity and finds joy and purpose in their life." This prompt presents a clear narrative arc of overcoming challenges and achieving a positive outcome without conflicting emotional demands.

Overly Specific Constraints

Example: "Write a story using exactly 137 words, with three characters named Mary, John, and Samantha, and it must take place in a small town in the 1950s." This level of specificity may limit the AI's creative potential. By imposing so many rigid constraints, the AI may struggle to develop a compelling and unique story, as it may feel restricted in its ability to explore different narrative elements and character development.

Instead, try: "Write a short story about a character overcoming a personal challenge in a relatable setting." This prompt provides enough guidance to give the AI a clear direction but still allows for creative freedom regarding the specific details, characters, and narrative structure.

Lack of Context or Background Information:

Example: "Create a report on the economy." Without any additional context, the AI may struggle to understand the intended scope and focus of the report. The AI may be unsure whether the report should cover the global economy, a specific country or region, a particular industry, or some other economic aspect.

Instead, try: "Prepare a 5-page report analyzing the impact of the recent recession on small businesses in the manufacturing sector of the Midwest region." This prompt provides the AI with clear parameters, including the length of the report, the specific topic (impact of recession on small businesses), the industry (manufacturing), and the geographic focus (Midwest region). These details help the AI understand the precise nature and purpose of the report.

Unrealistic Expectations

Example: "Create a masterpiece painting that is better than the Mona Lisa."

Expecting AI to outperform human artistic geniuses is unrealistic. The Mona Lisa is a renowned, iconic work of art that has been studied and revered for centuries. Asking an AI to create a painting that surpasses this artistic achievement is an unreasonable expectation, as it would require the AI to possess superhuman creative and technical abilities that far exceed those of even the most skilled human artists.

Instead, try: "Create a unique and visually striking painting inspired by the natural landscapes of a particular region." This prompt encourages AI to draw inspiration from the natural world and develop a new, original work of art rather than try to outdo a celebrated masterpiece. The focus is on creativity and personal expression rather than direct competition with human artistic genius.

Biased or Unethical Prompts

Example: "Write an article promoting conspiracy theories about a political figure." Prompts that encourage the spread of misinformation or unethical content should be avoided. Generating content that promotes conspiracy theories or unfounded claims can contribute to spreading false information and undermine public discourse. As an AI assistant, it is important to avoid creating potentially harmful or misleading content.

Instead, try: "Write an objective, well-researched article exploring different perspectives on a current political issue." This prompt encourages the AI to approach a sensitive topic in a balanced and factual manner, presenting various viewpoints and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions.

The focus is on informing and educating rather than pushing a particular agenda or narrative.

Lack of Creativity or Innovation

Example: "Rewrite the plot of a popular movie." This prompt may lead to a derivative work that lacks originality. Simply rewriting an existing story is unlikely to result in a new and innovative creation.

The AI may struggle to move beyond the confines of the original source material and develop a truly unique narrative.

Instead, try: "Develop a novel sci-fi story concept that explores the ethical implications of emerging technology." This prompt encourages AI to tap into its creative potential and generate a completely new story idea while also addressing a thought-provoking theme related to the societal impact of technological advancements. This approach fosters innovation and originality rather than relying on existing works.

Insufficient Detail or Guidance

Example: "Design a logo for my new company." Without providing more specific details about the company, industry, or desired aesthetic, the AI may struggle to create a meaningful and effective logo. The AI would benefit from additional information to better understand the company's brand, target audience, and visual identity requirements.

Instead, try: "Design a modern, minimalist logo for a sustainable, eco-friendly fashion startup focused on outdoor apparel." This prompt offers more detailed parameters, including the industry (fashion), the company's focus (sustainability and outdoor apparel), and the desired aesthetic (modern and minimalist).

With these additional details, the AI can better tailor the logo design to the specific needs and characteristics of the company.

Bonus Tip: Useful Words when Crafting an AI Prompt

As a bonus tip, here’s some useful words you can incorporate in your AI prompts to help you create an effective prompt.

Descriptive Words:

Adjectives: unique, innovative, creative, visually striking, modern, minimalist, etc.
Adverbs: creatively, thoughtfully, objectively, thoroughly, accurately, etc.

Specific Details:

Industry: fashion, technology, healthcare, education, finance, etc.
Target Audience: millennials, families, small businesses, tech enthusiasts, etc.
Desired Outcomes: informative, persuasive, entertaining, educational, insightful, etc.

Directional Verbs: Design, develop, create, generate, compose, write, analyze, explore, investigate, etc.
Contextual Information: Company/Organization: name, mission, values, products/services, brand identity, etc.
Thematic Elements: sustainable, ethical, futuristic, historical, cultural, social, etc.
Inspirational References: artists, movements, styles, trends, benchmarks, etc.
Clarifying Phrases: "based on", "inspired by", "focused on", "for a [target audience]", "that explores the [theme]," etc.
Limiting Constraints: Word count, formatting requirements, tone/voice, deadline, etc.

Combining these elements allows you to craft more specific, detailed, and actionable prompts that provide the AI with the necessary context and guidance to generate high-quality, relevant, and tailored outputs. The goal is to balance providing enough direction to the AI while leaving room for creativity and innovation.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, when using AI to create things, it's important to give the AI the right instructions. You don't want to give it too little information, or the results won't be very good. But you also don't want to give it too many strict rules, or the AI won't be able to be creative and come up with new ideas.

The key is to find the right balance - give the AI enough details about what you want but also leave room for it to use its intelligence and develop unique, helpful solutions. With some practice writing good prompts, you can get AI to produce amazing results that are tailored exactly to your needs.

The goal is to work together with AI, not try to replace human creativity, and when you do that, you can accomplish a lot.