Lesson 71 · 2 min
Give AI a role
Telling AI who to be changes what it notices, which words it uses and how deep it goes.
Ask "Is this contract fair?" and you get a general answer. Ask "You are a lawyer who protects freelancers. Is this contract fair to me?" and the answer starts pointing at payment terms, deadlines and who owns the work.
A role works like a filter. It tells the model which part of everything it learned to draw on, and what a good answer looks like for that kind of person. A teacher explains, an editor cuts, a skeptic hunts for holes.
Make the role specific. "An expert" adds little. "A primary school teacher explaining fractions to a nervous 9 year old" adds a lot, because it brings an audience and a goal along with it.
A role does not give the model real qualifications. A pretend doctor is still a chatbot. For health, money or legal decisions, use the answer to prepare good questions for a real professional.
Do it now
One question, three roles
- 1. Pick a small decision you are facing, like a purchase or a message you need to send.
- 2. Ask the same question three times, each time with a different role from the prompt below.
- 3. Notice what each role spots that the others missed.
You are [ROLE, e.g. a careful accountant / a friendly marketing coach / a skeptical customer]. Here is my situation: [DESCRIBE IT]. Give me your honest view in 5 bullet points, the way that person would.
Quick check
Keep going
Next →Choose the shape of the answerWords from this lesson
- Role prompting
- Starting a prompt by telling the AI who to act as, such as an experienced editor, to shape tone and focus.
- Prompt
- The instruction or question you give an AI. Clearer prompts with context usually get much better answers.