“Prompt Engineering: The Art of Getting AI to Make What You Want With GPT-4 and DALL-E Taking Center Stage”
As powerful AI models like GPT-4 and DALL-E continue to advance and become more accessible, prompt engineering has emerged as a crucial aspect of AI development.
This process involves skillfully crafting prompts to coax AI into producing desired outputs, such as creating websites or optimizing dating profiles. Anna Bernstein, a prompt engineer for Copy.ai, likens the process to casting a spell, with small errors leading to less-than-ideal results.
However, with the right prompt, AI can exceed expectations and bring your ideas to life. Although prompt engineering may seem technical, Bernstein’s background in poetry and freelance writing highlights its creative nature.
While there is an element of trial and error, understanding the best practices of prompt engineering can greatly increase the likelihood of success.
Tips for Using Chatbots like ChatGPT: Think Like a Programmer, not a Conversationalist. According to a machine learning expert, users should provide as much context as possible and use specific language to program the chatbot to perform writing tasks. Detailed instructions like points to be covered, intended audience, writing style, and section breakdowns can ensure better results.
According to Bernstein, the language used in crafting instructions is crucial.
It’s essential to use a clear verb that accurately conveys your intentions. For instance, “condense this” is a better instruction than “write it shorter,” as Bernstein explained to Insider.
ChatGPT is capable of understanding your intended actions, so starting with a clear statement of what you want it to do can lead to better results. It may take some experimentation to find the right wording and approach, as prompt engineering is somewhat of an art.
“Don’t give up on a concept just because your first prompt didn’t get the result you wanted,” Bernstein said. “Often, finding the right word or phrasing can unlock what you’re doing.”
Simple Prompts and Stylistic Keywords for Image-Generating AIs
Midjourney’s prompt engineering can be simplified, as image-generating AIs don’t always require complex and detailed prompts to produce high-quality results.
Scharth suggests that a straightforward prompt, coupled with an appropriate stylistic keyword, such as “bowl of fruit,” “hyperrealistic,” or “ChatGPT in the style of Ed Ruscha,” can be sufficient.
“After I have a rough idea of what I want to accomplish, I try to narrow things down to people, places and things – the core actors or main drivers in the scene I’m trying to construct,” Justin Reckling, who creates prompts for purchase on PromptBase, told The Verge.
Reckling begins by generating a few basic versions of his prompt using AI, which he can then modify until he achieves the desired outcome.
“You start with the big important strokes and then work in the finer details,” Reckling explained. Midjourney offers specific prompts that can alter various aspects of an image, according to Scharth.
For example, using “–ar” followed by a value can adjust the aspect ratio, “–no” can remove specified objects, and “–stylize” can enhance the artistic style but may not follow instructions precisely.
The command “–c” can produce eerie results on a 0-100 scale, with higher values resulting in wilder outputs.
