Writing AI Prompts For Dummies

by Stephanie Diamond

Learn the art of writing effective AI prompts and break into an exciting new career field Writing AI Prompts For Dummies gets you started on the path toward becoming an “AI psychologist” capable of getting all types of output from AI systems. This book walks you through the process of mining great results from leading platforms, so you can save time, solve problems, explore creative ideas, conduct research, and beyond. Even if you’re brand new to using AI chatbots, you’ll be able to follow the jargon-free explanations and instructions inside to learn how to ask questions and make requests in terms any AI can understand. Then, you can convert your new skill into greater productivity in your life, or even into a new career. Prompt engineering is a fast-growing career opportunity with six-figure salaries attached. Who knows? This Dummies guide could be your launchpad to a future as an AI whisperer. When asked “Who needs to learn prompt engineering?” ChatGPT professionals, creatives, educators, scientists, and entrepreneurs in many fields can benefit an enhanced ability to use AI productively. And for anyone working in AI, natural language processing, or related areas, Writing AI Prompts For Dummies is simply a must.

Genres: Artificial Intelligence, Nonfiction, Reference

288 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Zivile · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title might be misleading: it’s mostly a compilation of already existing tools, explaining which is better for what. So I still think it’s valuable.

[Vaughan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title promises a focus on AI prompts, but the content is primarily a generic "what" and "why" of AI. If the title had been just "AI for dummies" then I'd have rated it a 3, however the false promise was disappointing.

Many chapters are listicles that have been expanded - maybe having been pumped out by one of the AI LLMs. Unless you are a complete novice, the additional text does nothing to add value and just fills space.

There are sections on specific tools with screenshots that are a point in time snapshot that will age quickly - and didn't provide much value in the first place. There are also statements around whre AI will work and wont work that have already been proven wrong by the changes in industry in the short time since the book was written.

[Lino Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing AI Prompts: Thoughts

Before we talk, a little, about the book, let me state that I am on the fence regarding AI. For the 2 people that are not sure what AI means, it is Artificial Intelligence. Is it? Artificial and intelligent that is?
My understanding is that it is still humans that are writing the code for AI. So, it is our intelligence that is being transferred. Is it really intelligent, or just really fast at reviewing and reiterating information back to us? Sometimes it is not even information, rather it appears more like data. And don’t get me started on insights.
Nonetheless, let’s get back to Writing AI Prompts by Stephanie Diamond and Jeffrey Allan, it is another book in the ever-growing quiver of ‘For Dummies’ books. And like most of the series that I have used to date, it is very useful. Let’s be clear, Dummies books are not for reading word for word. Rather they are great books to scan– too much information to absorb all in one go. Use a survey approach. Focus on the parts and elements that interest you.
Here is the most important lesson for myself. It encouraged me to actually prompt an online AI engine to help me do some research. For instance, here is what the AI responded to my query: ‘Ten Key Lessons from "Writing AI Prompts for Dummies" by Stephanie Diamond and Jeffrey Allan’
Disclaimer: While I couldn't access the exact content of the book, I can provide a general overview of key lessons based on common prompt engineering practices and the book's title and subject matter.
1. Understand Your AI:
· Know the AI model's strengths, weaknesses, and limitations.
· Tailor prompts to specific AI capabilities.
2. Be Specific and Clear:
· Avoid vague or ambiguous prompts.
· Provide clear instructions and context.
3. Experiment with Different Prompt Styles:
· Try different phrasing, tone, and formats to find what works best.
· Explore role-playing, storytelling, or question-answering prompts.
4. Iterate and Refine:
· Don't be afraid to revise your prompts based on AI output.
· Test different variations to improve results.
5. Provide Examples:
· Give AI specific examples of desired output.
· Use clear and relevant examples to guide the AI.
6. Consider AI Bias:
· Be aware of potential biases in AI models.
· Use prompts to mitigate bias and ensure fairness.
7. Leverage Prompt Engineering for Different Tasks:
· Apply prompt engineering to various applications like content creation, coding, translation, etc.
· Explore the versatility of AI through effective prompting.
8. Master Prompt Engineering Techniques:
· Learn techniques like few-shot learning, zero-shot learning, and chain-of-thought prompting.
· Use these techniques to enhance AI performance.
9. Ethical Considerations:
· Use AI responsibly and ethically.
· Avoid harmful or misleading prompts.
10. Continuous Learning:
· Stay updated on AI advancements and prompt engineering best practices.
· Experiment with new techniques and approaches.

You see, even though the AI could not access the exact book, it did a good job of summarizing some of the issues. The book does get more specific with examples on:
• The basics of generative AI and its output
• How to develop effect prompts for writers, marketers, and content creators
• How to enhance the customer journey with AI tools
• How to assess and improve your personal online brand using AI
• The ethical use of AI in business communications
• Mistakes to avoid when creating AI content

And perhaps, most important of all, the book encouraged, cajoled, and gave me confidence to get started on an AI for Business journey. More in the coming weeks.

Lino Matteo ©™
Twitter @Lino_Matteo

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[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the paperback edition of Writing AI prompts.

As I was reading Writing AI prompts I thought its supposed to be about writing AI prompts and there is not much information about writing AI prompts in the book. There is maybe a chapter about writing AI prompts. And I suppose I liked the tips about writing AI prompts in a part of 10's chapter toward the end of the book also.

Also on the front and back of the book it makes it seem like the book is mostly about writing AI prompts but, its not. Sure there is some interesting information in the book like AI chatbot's and personal branding.

I think the book should have a different title. Such as Running your business with AI. Something like that.

So in my opinion if you get this book thinking that you will learn a lot about writing AI prompts you will be disappointed. If you want to learn about writing AI prompts I would read another book.

[Sherry Krueger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a greenhorn, this book was a quick read with valuable information and easy to skip over super basic stuff. It gave me good framework on how to prompt ai to get the results you want. A new thought process with AI in mind. Basically what I was looking for.

[Iuliia · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most useless books I've encountered. Material so vague that doesn't teach you anything. 1 hour on any AI discussion thread will teach you more. Shame

[Ciaran · Rating 2 out of 5]

content is too shallow
not well edited

[Mally Henne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starter information with functional summaries

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recommend looking for other resources if you want to learn about prompt writing / engineering, since I found this to be quite disappointing and not very helpful. The text in many places is pretty generic, and the examples are often just hard-to-read screenshots, feeling as if they carelessly copied and pasted into the document.

The initial chapters on writing prompts are the most interesting but I found them neither well-constructed nor particularly useful. They just don't go into enough detail and don't provide enough extensive examples. The subsequent chapters on using AI in various e-commerce and business areas feel like they replicate the style of AI-generated content themselves. They just are written in an extremely generic way, sometimes just giving list after list of bullet points. The career advice for applying AI in the future is also kept very general. The chapters on responsibility I found somewhat acceptable, but overall, a lot of the content seems like fluff.