Interaction with Language Models & Prompt Engineering

:dart: Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Master the basics of prompt engineering for AI models
• Design effective prompts for different tasks
• Understand when to use different prompting techniques
• Analyze how prompt structure changes AI responses
• Fix common prompting problems
• Create reusable prompt templates

:rocket: Introduction to Prompt Engineering

:information_source: Prompt engineering is the skill of writing instructions that help AI models give you the answers you want. Think of it like giving directions - the clearer your directions, the better the AI understands what you need!

When you write good prompts, you unlock the full power of AI models. Bad prompts lead to confusing answers, while great prompts get you exactly what you need.

How Large Language Models Work

Watch: How Large Language Models Work

:memo: ### :memo: Important: Explore Chatbot Activities Check out the activities in the Activities folder! These fun exercises let you practice with different chatbots and see how they work. Try them out to get hands-on experience!

:bulb: Why Prompt Engineering Matters

• :emoji: Unlock AI Power: Good prompts help AI models show their best abilities
• :dart: Get Consistent Results: Clear prompts give you the same type of answer every time
• :zap: Save Time: Write it right the first time instead of trying over and over
• :emoji: One Model, Many Tasks: The same AI can write stories, solve math, or answer questions - it all depends on your prompt!

:emoji: Anatomy of a Prompt

Core Components

Every good prompt has these building blocks:

1. :emoji: Context: Sets the scene or gives background info
2. :dart: Instruction: Tells the AI exactly what to do
3. :bar_chart: Input Data: The specific information you want processed
4. :memo: Output Format: How you want the answer organized
5. :emoji: Examples: Shows the AI what good answers look like

Basic Prompt Structure

:bulb: Think of a prompt like a recipe - each part has a purpose!

csharp

[Context]
[Instruction]
[Input Data]
[Output Format]
[Examples (optional)]

Example:

less

You are a helpful writing assistant.
Please summarize the following text in 3 bullet points.
Text: [article content]
Format your response as:
• Point 1
• Point 2
• Point 3

:art: Fundamental Prompting Techniques

One. Zero-Shot Prompting

This means asking the AI to do something without giving any examples. It's like asking a friend to help without showing them how first.

When to use:

• For simple tasks that are easy to understand
• When you don't have examples to share
• To see what the AI can do on its own

Example:

css

Translate the following English text to French:
"Hello, how are you today?"

2. One-Shot Prompting

Give the AI one example, then ask it to do something similar.

When to use:

• To show the format you want
• To make your expectations clear
• For simple pattern-following tasks

Example:

rust

Convert city names to country codes:
Paris -> FR

London -> 

3. Few-Shot Prompting

Show the AI several examples to teach it a pattern.

When to use:

• For tasks with specific formatting rules
• When you need consistent style
• To teach the AI complex patterns

Example:

rust

Classify the sentiment of these reviews:
"This product is amazing!" -> Positive
"Terrible experience, would not recommend." -> Negative
"It's okay, nothing special." -> Neutral

"The service exceeded my expectations!" -> 

:rocket: Advanced Prompting Strategies

Chain-of-Thought (CoT) Prompting

This technique asks the AI to think through problems step by step, just like you would!

Standard Prompt:

csharp

What is 15% of 240?

CoT Prompt (Better!):

vbnet

What is 15% of 240? Let's think step by step.
Step 1: Convert 15% to decimal (0.15)
Step 2: Multiply 240 by 0.15
Step 3: Calculate the result

Role-Based Prompting

Give the AI a specific role or character to play. This helps it answer in the right style!

Examples:

sql

You are an experienced Python developer. Explain list comprehensions.

You are a patient elementary school teacher. Explain photosynthesis.

You are a professional chef. Suggest a recipe using these ingredients.

note

:video_game: Important Activity: Exploring System Prompts

Ready to control how chatbots behave? Check out the system prompts activity in the Activities folder. You'll learn how to shape AI responses like a pro!

Structured Output Prompting

Tell the AI exactly how to format its answer. This is super helpful for organizing information!

JSON Format Example:

Extract the following information and format as JSON:
{
  "name": "",
  "age": "",
  "occupation": ""
}

Text: John Smith is a 35-year-old software engineer.

:emoji: Prompt Design Principles

One. Be Clear and Specific

The more specific you are, the better results you get!

:x: Poor Prompt:

Write about dogs.

:white_check_mark: Better Prompt:

Write a 200-word informative paragraph about the history of dog domestication, focusing on archaeological evidence and timeline.

2. Set the Right Context

Help the AI understand who it's talking to and how to explain things.

:x: Without Context:

Explain quantum computing.

:white_check_mark: With Context:

You are explaining to a high school student who has basic knowledge of classical computers but no physics background. Explain quantum computing using simple analogies.

:clipboard: Summary

Let's recap what you've learned about prompt engineering:

:bulb: Key Takeaways:

• Good prompts have clear structure: context, instruction, input, output format, and examples
• Start with zero-shot for simple tasks, use few-shot for complex patterns
• Advanced techniques like Chain-of-Thought help AI think step-by-step
• Role-based prompts shape the AI's personality and expertise
• Being specific and setting context leads to better results

:dart: Practice Prompts

Try these exercises to master prompt engineering:

1. Basic Translation: Write a prompt to translate "Good morning" into 5 different languages
2. Story Writing: Create a prompt for a 100-word story about a robot learning to paint
3. Math Helper: Design a Chain-of-Thought prompt to solve: "If a pizza has 8 slices and you eat 3, what fraction is left?"
4. Role Play: Write a prompt where the AI acts as a friendly librarian recommending books
5. Data Extraction: Create a prompt to extract names and ages from a paragraph of text

Remember: The best way to learn prompt engineering is by practicing! Try different approaches and see what works best.