Not sure how to chat with ChatGPT? Here's where you can buy a "prompt."
Advanced artificial intelligence is increasingly infiltrating our daily lives, including the working world, commerce and school. For those of us who are unsure how best to communicate with the new generation of AI-powered apps, you can purchase queries or inputs that effectively bridge the gap between humans and bots.
Online marketplace PromptBase lets users of so-called generative text and image tools, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, buy and sell "prompts" that are are aimed at getting AI to perform a highly specific task, such as improving one's writing by correcting grammatical errors or writing catchy song lyrics.
For example, a ChatGPT user looking for help touching up a piece of text might tell it go "make my writing better." But that instruction isn't specific or nuanced enough to get the AI to do its best work.
So for $2.99, anyone can purchase a "Writing Assistant" prompt that promises to help buyers instantly improve their writing by making it more concise and using "well-crafted, grammatically sound sentences," according to PromptBase.
"Whether you're a student, professional, non-native speaker or just someone who wants to improve their writing - this prompt is perfect for you!" the prompt description reads.
The prompt itself is lengthy and contains a list of 16 separate instructions, including "Check the text for any spelling errors and correct them" and "Assess the word choice and find better or more compelling/suitable alternatives to overused, cliche or weak word choices." It also asks the AI to make sure "the text does not waffle or ramble pointlessly" and that it be "very pleasing to read."
"Act like a marketing professional"
More precise or better phrased prompts can help people use AI to get the results they want, according to experts. Want to learn how to market or sell a product? There are prompts that teach AI how to act like a marketing professional.
For $4.99, you can purchase detailed instructions to feed ChatGPT. They read in part: "You must provide me with the following information for this action plan: Who is my ideal customer, what are their needs and wants and where do they spend their time online or offline."
"Create a compelling message that sets my product apart from the competition and appeals to my target audience," the guidance continues.
AI tools deliver more effective responses if you tell them to "act like a marketing professional who knows today's best sales strategies," before describing the product you wish to sell, according to the prompt.
Family insult generator
Other prompts for sale include instructions to get AI to serve as a job adviser, career counselor, thesis writer and more. PromptBase even sells humorous inputs that tell AI to come up with insults for family members, write jokes and standup comedy scripts, interpret dreams, and more.
Some companies are shelling out six figures to so-called prompt engineers to teach and train AI to perform tasks that can make them more profitable. This includes generating libraries of company-specific prompts. The role doesn't require a background in coding, either.
One listing seeks a candidate with a "a creative hacker spirit," while another describes the role as an "art" that's "a hybrid between programming, instructing and teaching."
