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Designing Prompts for Large Language Models

Large language models are incredibly powerful tools for generating human-like text. However, to get the most out of these LLMs, it's essential to design effective prompts. In this guide, we'll explore how to design prompts to achieve different tasks, with plenty of examples to help you understand the process.

This guide uses very simple tasks to help you understand the concept. Current LLMs are much more powerful and can easily handle the below tasks. Utlilizing bigger LLMs for simple tasks will be costly and unscalable for real world applications. So please try the prompts with smaller size base LLMs. It will give you a better understanding on why prompt design is important.

Note

Try the prompts with Meta 3.2 3B model.

Understanding Prompts

A prompt is the input text that you provide to an LLM to guide its response. It's like a starting point for the LLM to generate text based on the context and information provided. The quality of the prompt can significantly impact the quality of the generated text.

For example, consider the following prompt:

Write a short story about a cat and a dog
Story:

The LLM will generate a story based on this prompt, using its knowledge of cats, dogs, and storytelling.

Tip

If you leave out the "Story:" part, the LLM may generate something weirder after the prompt. Ending the prompt with "Story:" makes the LLM more likely to generate a story.

Designing Prompts for Different Tasks

Let's explore how to design prompts for various tasks, including information retrieval, text summarization, translation, creative writing, and question-answering.

Information Retrieval

When you want the LLM to provide specific information, it's essential to be clear and concise in your prompt. For example:

Prompt: 

What is the capital city of France?
Answer:

Completion: 

The capital city of France is Paris.

Text Summarization

For text summarization, provide the LLM with the text you want to summarize and ask it to generate a concise summary. For example:

Prompt

Please provide a short summary of the following text:
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The term may also be applied to any machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind, such as learning and problem-solving. The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of achieving a specific goal.
Summary:

Completion

Artificial intelligence (AI) involves creating machines that can simulate human intelligence, including learning and problem-solving. AI aims to make rational decisions to achieve specific goals.

Translation

To translate text, specify the source language, target language, and the text you want to translate. For example:

Prompt: 

Translate the following English text to French. 
English: "Hello, how are you?"
French:

Completion: 

Bonjour, comment ça va ?

Creative Writing

For creative writing tasks, provide a clear and engaging prompt that sets the stage for the story or content you want to generate. For example:

Prompt

Write a short story about a time-traveling detective who solves mysteries in different historical periods.
Story:

Completion

Once upon a time, in a world where time travel was a reality, there lived a detective named Arthur. Arthur had a unique gift - he could travel through time to solve mysteries that had puzzled historians for centuries. One day, he received a letter from a renowned archaeologist, asking for his help in solving the mystery of the lost city of Atlantis...

Question-Answering

For question-answering tasks, ask a clear and direct question. You can also provide additional context if necessary. For example:

Prompt

Question:
In the context of computer programming, could you explain what is a variable?
Answer:

Completion

In computer programming, a variable is a symbolic name that represents a storage location in memory. It holds a value, which can be changed during the program's execution. Variables are used to store and manipulate data, making it easier for programmers to write flexible and reusable code.

Tips for Effective Prompt Design

  1. Be clear and concise: Make sure your prompt is easy to understand and gets straight to the point.
  2. Provide context: If necessary, provide additional context to help the LLM understand the task better.
  3. Specify the format: If you want the response in a specific format, mention it in the prompt.
  4. Experiment: Don't be afraid to try different prompt styles and phrasings to get the desired output.

Remember that the quality of the generated output depends on the clarity and specificity of your prompt. Feel free to experiment with different prompt styles and phrasings to get the desired output for your advanced tasks.

Designing effective prompts is crucial for getting the most out of large language models. By understanding the task you want to achieve and crafting a clear, concise, and engaging prompt, you can harness the power of these models to generate high-quality text. Don't forget to experiment with different prompt styles and phrasings to find what works best for your specific use case. Happy prompting!