If you’ve tried ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot and come away thinking “that was pretty generic,” there’s a good chance the problem wasn’t the AI. It was the question.
Here’s the single easiest fix I know: before you ask anything, tell the AI who to be.
(A quick note for my newsletter readers: I know AI isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is why it lives here on the blog now and the newsletter sticks to security and quick tips. If you’re curious, read on. If not, no hard feelings.)
Why it works
Think about calling a help line. If you get someone who answers every question the same way, you hang up frustrated. If you get the person who actually knows the subject and knows how to talk to a regular person, the whole call goes differently.
AI works the same way. Ask it a plain question and you get a plain, middle-of-the-road answer written for nobody in particular. Give it a role first, and it picks the vocabulary, the level of detail and the priorities that a person in that job would use.
How to do it
Start your request with three things:
- The job: “Act as a…”
- Who it’s helping: a little about you and how much you already know.
- What you want back: a list, a short answer, step-by-step instructions, a draft you can edit.
That’s it. Takes about ten extra seconds to type.
Five job titles to try
Copy any of these, fill in the brackets and paste it in.
1. The patient tech support person
Act as a patient tech support person helping someone who is comfortable with email and web browsing but nothing more technical. Explain how to [what you’re trying to do] on my [computer or phone model]. Use numbered steps, no jargon, and tell me what I should see on the screen after each step.
Yes, I’m aware I’m handing out my own job here. Don’t worry, I’m still a phone call away when the steps don’t match your screen.
2. The editor
Act as a friendly editor. Here is an email I wrote to [who it’s going to]. Make it clearer and more polite without making it longer or changing what I’m asking for. Then tell me in one line what you changed.
Great for complaint letters, notes to the HOA and anything you’ve rewritten three times already.
3. The budget travel planner
Act as a travel planner who is protective of my money. I’m planning [number of days] in [place] in [month] for [number of people], and my budget is [amount] not counting airfare. Give me a day-by-day plan, the free things worth doing, and the common tourist traps to skip.
4. The chef who works with what you’ve got
Act as a home cook who hates wasting food. I have [list what’s in your fridge and pantry]. Give me three dinner ideas I can make in under 45 minutes with what I have, and tell me if I’m missing one cheap ingredient that would make a big difference.
5. The doctor’s-visit coach
Act as a patient advocate helping me get ready for a doctor’s appointment about [symptom or condition]. Explain [term or test result] in plain English, then give me a short list of questions to ask my doctor.
This one comes with a big asterisk: AI is a way to walk into the appointment better prepared, not a replacement for the appointment. It can be confidently wrong, and it doesn’t know your history. Use it to come up with good questions, then let your doctor answer them.
A few ground rules
- Be specific about yourself. “I’m 70 and use an iPad” gets you a very different answer than nothing at all.
- Push back. If the answer misses, tell it what’s wrong: “Too long, give me the short version” or “I don’t have that menu, I’m on Windows 10.” It doesn’t get its feelings hurt.
- Keep private things private. Don’t paste in account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords or anything you wouldn’t put on a postcard.
- Double check anything that matters. Prices, dates, laws and medical facts should all get a second look from a real source.
Coming up next
Next week: how to use that same trick on a contractor’s estimate or a repair quote before you sign it. I call it the estimate assassin.
And as always, if you get stuck with any of this, or with anything else on your computer, I can connect remotely and help. Schedule a session here, email me at billj@askbillfirst.com, or contact me at AskBillFirst | Contact Us.
Filed under: Future Tech, Quick Wins |
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