Prompt engineering is dead but there is a better life after death.

Summary

In this insightful presentation from AI 5050, Bob Alink challenges traditional prompt engineering methods, advocating for a deeper understanding of AI's capabilities. He introduces 'prology,' a blend of technical and psychological knowledge, to master AI prompts effectively. Alink emphasizes the importance of asking AI questions to avoid assumptions and achieve non-average results. He showcases creative prompting techniques, such as using regional nuances and psychological frameworks, to harness generative AI's full potential, ultimately urging professionals to delve deeper into AI models for exceptional outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🔄 The presenter, Bob Alink, emphasizes the need to 'turn the world upside down' and look at AI from a different perspective to avoid average results.
• 🤖 He criticizes the current approach to 'prompt engineering' in 2024, likening it to the outdated practices of 1924, where people tried to extract information and enforce their will on others.
• 📚 Bob dismisses cheat sheets and shortcuts as ineffective, suggesting that they are based on assumptions rather than a true understanding of AI's capabilities.
• 🧑‍💼 He points out the misuse of roles and frameworks in AI, where people assign roles to AI without fully understanding what those roles entail or how to effectively use them.
• 🔍 Bob introduces the concept of 'prology', a blend of prompt engineering and psychology, as a way to deeply understand and interact with AI models.
• 📝 He advocates for asking AI models questions about their processes, rather than just giving commands, to gain insights into how they interpret and act on prompts.
• 🌐 The script discusses the importance of specifying regional contexts when prompting AI to avoid stereotypes and to tailor responses appropriately.
• 🌈 Bob highlights the potential of generative AI to create unique combinations of ideas and techniques that have not been previously combined, emphasizing the role of human creativity in this process.
• 📈 He provides examples of how to use AI for specific tasks, such as creating brand voice profiles or adapting text for low-literacy audiences, by asking the model to explain its actions.
• 🚀 The presenter encourages the audience to think creatively and to combine different psychological models and techniques in AI to achieve better results.
• 🛠️ Bob acknowledges the challenges of evolving AI models, which require ongoing learning and adaptation of prompting techniques to maintain effectiveness.

Q & A

What is the main theme of Bob Alink's presentation at AI 5050?

The main theme of Bob Alink's presentation is exploring new perspectives on how AI is influencing the world and the concept of 'prompt engineering', which he believes is flawed and needs to be rethought.

Why did Bob Alink start his presentation standing upside down?

Bob Alink started his presentation standing upside down to symbolize the idea that if AI is turning the world upside down, he needs to look at it from a different, less conventional perspective.

What does Bob Alink think about the use of cheat sheets and shortcuts in prompt engineering?

Bob Alink considers cheat sheets and shortcuts to be worthless, as they are based on assumptions and do not truly reflect the capabilities or the workings of AI.

What is Bob Alink's opinion on the use of roles in AI prompting?

Bob Alink believes that using roles in AI prompting without understanding what the template or role actually does can lead to assumptions and ineffective results.

What does Bob Alink propose as an alternative to traditional prompt engineering?

Bob Alink proposes 'prology', a combination of prompt engineering and prompt psychology, as an alternative approach to better understand and utilize AI.

What does Bob Alink mean by 'average is the new AI'?

By 'average is the new AI', Bob Alink is referring to the phenomenon where AI, when used by everyone in the same way, tends to produce average results, rather than exceptional or unique outcomes.

What technique does Bob Alink suggest to gain deeper insights into AI's understanding and use of prompts?

Bob Alink suggests using the 'what will you do' technique, where instead of executing a prompt, one asks the AI to explain what it would do with the prompt, to gain deeper insights.

How does Bob Alink approach the issue of AI's stereotypical responses?

Bob Alink addresses AI's stereotypical responses by explicitly instructing the AI to avoid stereotypes and to consider regional and cultural nuances in its responses.