Learning Library · Level 1: AI Basics

1.3 What a Prompt Is

Read by Jack. Pressing play on a video in the library loads YouTube’s player, and YouTube counts that play.

What a prompt is, and how saying who, what and how gets you a better answer.

Prompt, in plain English

The AI Explained entry for prompt.

Read what Jack says in 1.3

What is a prompt?

A prompt is a message or question you give to AI. You can type it or say it. You do not need special words.

It helps to explain what you need. Compare these two requests.

"Write an email."

"Write a short, friendly email to my landlord. Ask if someone can fix the sink this week."

The second request tells the AI who the email is for, what it should say, and how it should sound.

You can also ask for changes. Try "Make it shorter" or "Make it more polite."

You do not have to get the first request perfect.

Next: what AI remembers.