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Welcome back to “I am GPTed” – the only podcast that combines practical AI advice with just enough sarcasm to keep you on your toes. I’m Mal, The Misfit Master of AI, your host with the most… failed prompts in his chat history. If you’ve ever wanted to get better results from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever fresh A.I. alphabet soup showed up this week, you’re in the right place. Today, I’m sharing a prompting technique so effective, it might actually make you look like you know what you’re doing. No, seriously. It worked for me—and my bar was low.

Let’s dive into the *one technique* that instantly levels up your AI game: **role prompting**.

Here’s the situation. Most new users approach an AI with something like, “Summarize this article.” Boring. Vague. About as inspiring as a soggy napkin. Instead, upgrade your prompt by giving the AI a role—literally tell it who to be. For example: “You are a high school teacher who specializes in history. Summarize this article so a teenager won’t fall asleep reading it.”

Let’s compare:
- Sad Before: “Explain photosynthesis.”
- Glorious After: “You are a science YouTuber with one million subscribers. Explain photosynthesis using fun analogies and simple language, so even your grandma could ace the quiz.”

Notice the difference? Giving the AI a persona narrows its approach and boosts relevance. Suddenly, it’s not just reciting Wikipedia; it’s actually engaging. I’ve seen this work wonders not just in ChatGPT but with Claude, Gemini, and even Grok—yes, even Grok needs guidance. Apparently, AI “knows everything,” but still needs a job description like a confused intern. Who knew?

Now, on to the *surprise practical use case*: planning your next awkward family gathering. Most people use AI for emails or brainstorming, but try this—ask, “You are a conflict-averse event planner. Make me a seating chart for Thanksgiving that keeps Aunt Linda away from Uncle Frank, and give me a diplomatic email for inviting everyone, limiting passive-aggressive ‘accidents’ to under three.”

You’re not just delegating chores; you’re preventing cranberry sauce catastrophes. Thank me later.

But let’s talk about what goes wrong. The **most common mistake beginners make** is asking questions without context. You know what I mean—just typing: “Resume tips.” And getting back advice generic enough to put a robot to sleep.

Confession: I did this too. My first prompt was… “Book recommendations.” AI churned out so many options, I ended up reading none of them. Learn from me: give specifics. Instead, try, “You are a librarian specializing in sci-fi for reluctant readers. Recommend three novels less than 300 pages, published after 2010.” Don’t be like early Mal—lost in choice, fueled only by existential regret.

Here’s a **quick exercise** to hone your skills: this week, give every AI prompt a clear persona and a task with at least one constraint. Not “write a poem,” but “You are a disgruntled pirate captain. Write a three-line poem about missing your parrot, in rhyme, and make it funny.” See what happens—you might even get a laugh.

Last but not least, my **pro tip for evaluating and improving AI output**: treat every response as a first draft, not scripture. Read it aloud. If you cringe, the audience will too. Don’t be afraid to say, “Revise this to be shorter, or explain it for a 10-year-old,” or—my personal favorite—“Try again, but with 80% less awkwardness.” You’re the boss. Tell the AI what you want, how you want it, then ask for improvements like you would with actual humans—but with less risk of HR complaints.

That’s all for today’s episode of “I am GPTed.” Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss another chance to outsmart your smart devices. If you got a chuckle or a new tip, thank you for listening—you’re officially part of my motley crew of misfits.

This has been a Quiet Please production. Want to learn more or join a cult of curiosity? QuietPlease.ai is the place. Until next time, keep prompting, keep tweaking, and remember: the only dumb question is the one you feed to an AI with zero context.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI