It's often touted that, when interacting with AI, your prompts should be crystal clear and concise, avoiding the inclusion of too many points or questions in one go. This advice, while sound in many instances, doesn't always hold. Recently, I've discovered that issuing unclear or multifaceted prompts can yield surprisingly beneficial results in certain scenarios.
Unclear prompting can be a boon when it comes to stimulating an array of raw ideas. Humans excel at building and refining upon these draft ideas. It's a known fact that we often struggle to create something from scratch, especially when it involves creativity – a trait that only a handful possess.
Take ChatGPT, for instance. Here are a few ways in which I've found unclear prompting to be beneficial:
1) Divergent Thinking/Brainstorming: This is a commonly encountered scenario. Many times, our task isn't about finding a solution, but formulating the right question that needs addressing. Enter unclear prompting. Feed the AI with your incomplete question or the related phenomena, and voila! You have a set of diverse thoughts stemming from the AI, providing you with new leads to frame your exact question.
2) Idea Phasing: From Vague to Clear: There are instances when I come up with a rough idea, but struggle to refine it further. In such cases, I collect the most pressing questions in my mind and put them across to ChatGPT. The answers, while not precise, are wide-ranging, providing the necessary elements for my mind to ponder and construct a clear picture.
3) Finding Alternatives for Current Solutions: This is slightly more specific. If I have queries about an existing solution, I describe the problem and the current solution to ChatGPT, and request for ten alternative solutions. While the initial alternatives may not be viable solutions, they trigger divergent thinking, offering a fresh perspective to your problem and its solution.
In essence, unclear prompting proves exceptionally effective when dealing with obscure tasks. It opens up an avenue of possibilities, fueling your thought process, and often leading to innovative solutions. As with everything, this method won't always be the most effective, but I encourage you to try it out – you might just find it to be an invaluable tool in your problem-solving arsenal.
