Entering a question in ChatGPT may seem easy enough, but to OpenAI, how you phrase it is highly important. To assist users with receiving sharper, more innovative answers, the company has posted five sample AI prompts illustrating how to speak effectively to its most advanced chatbot.
OpenAI says the prompts are designed to open the floodgates of everything, from lucidity and organization to imagination and practical use.
OpenAI’s first proposed prompt emphasizes simplifying results for various readers.
Prompt: ‘Explain this like I’m five, like I’m a college student, and like I’m an expert.’
From quantum computers to the stock exchange, ChatGPT can change tone and complexity at the touch of a button. The outcome: one idea, three levels of knowledge: beginner, intermediate, and expert.
Yes, and that’s what the second prompt attempts to do.
Prompt: ‘Plan a [goal] for me step-by-step and give me the first action I can take today.’
Tell the AI model to create a ‘4-week beginner strength home routine with just dumbbells,’ and ChatGPT will provide not only the plan, but also a shopping list and today’s first exercise.
OpenAI explains that this strategy emphasizes the chatbot’s capability for producing actionable, customized blueprints, not simply concepts.
OpenAI’s third prompt turns information overload into brief takeaways.
Prompt: ‘Condense these notes into 3 main decisions, 5 things to do, and a one-sentence TL;DR.’
It’s ideal for journalists, students, and professionals who have their emails scattered across multiple platforms or who are managing unorganized notes. ChatGPT can quickly transform the confusion into clear-cut decisions and tasks within seconds.
OpenAI believes that ChatGPT can generate some of the most intelligent ideas an artificial intelligence can produce.
Prompt: ‘Come up with 10 creative ideas with surprising twists.’
For example, ‘Give me 10 Instagram video ideas to promote a small coffee shop’ might generate trend-conscious ideas suitable for immediate use. The AI giant claims that this demonstrates how ChatGPT can combine creative brainstorming with cultural awareness.
Also Read: 10 Must-Try ChatGPT Prompts for Smarter Stock Trading in 2025
The fifth prompt converts the chatbot into an interactive practice partner.
Prompt: ‘Be my [role] and help me practice.’
Have ChatGPT act as a hiring manager and interview you as if it were a real one. The model can critique your response, and it is helpful for skill acquisition and real-world simulation.
OpenAI recommends users take it one step further after each response:
‘Can you take this further?’ or ‘Give me three crazy alternatives.’
This easy-to-use follow-up enables users to gain deeper insights, explore new angles, and offer creative spin-offs. This makes ChatGPT an even more effective thinking aid through the application of optimized prompt engineering.