← Back to Articles

Getting started with AI: Good enough prompting

By Ethan Mollick
Article
Prompt Engineering
AI Utilization
Read the full article on One Useful Thing BlogRead Original Article

Article Summary

In his article "Getting Started with AI: Good Enough Prompting," Ethan Mollick discusses the challenges users face when interacting with AI systems like ChatGPT, particularly when they treat these models as simple search engines. He emphasizes that effective AI utilization doesn't require mastering complex "prompt engineering" but rather spending around ten hours experimenting with AI to understand its capabilities. Mollick introduces two practical approaches: "good-enough task prompting," which involves providing clear instructions for specific tasks, and "good-enough thought prompting," which uses AI to brainstorm and refine ideas. By adopting these methods, users can enhance their interactions with AI without the need for extensive technical training.