AI-Powered Prompt Engineering: Create the Perfect Prompt - Every Single Time!

The most important prompt you will ever need: Learn how to create a "meta prompt", and turn your AI into a prompt engineering superstar!

Dennis Traub
Amazon Employee
Published Jun 13, 2024
Last Modified Jun 14, 2024

Introduction

Large-language models and generative AI have become an essential part of my daily work, and I've spent countless hours writing, rewriting, refining, and - more often than not - dumping prompts in an ongoing effort to convince various generative AI models to produce the results I was looking for.
Writing prompts that consistently generate high-quality, relevant, and coherent responses from AI models can be quite tricky: One of the challenges when working with generative AI is to make sure the model understands what I need and produces relevant responses, while keeping hallucinations at a minimum.
To tackle this, I've started experimenting with Anthropic Claude 3 to help me create something like a meta prompt - a set of guidelines for the AI to help me create better prompts for any specific task.
The results were pretty good, and I'm excited to share my process and key learnings with you.

What is a meta prompt?

A meta prompt - I don't know if this term even exists, but if not, well, now it does šŸ™‚ - is a set of instructions and guidelines designed to help an AI language model generate effective and specific prompts for a wide range of use cases.
The primary purpose of a meta prompt is to turn the AI into an expert prompt engineer: By providing the AI with a clear framework for creating effective prompts, a meta prompt enables the model to generate prompts that are tailored to specific needs and goals, while also minimizing common issues such as hallucinations or irrelevant responses.

Potential Applications and Benefits

Meta prompts can be applied to a wide range of scenarios, from creative writing to technical documentation, programming, and research. By using AI-assisted prompt engineering, you can literally 10x your process, use AI more effectively than ever before, and explore new levels of creativity, efficiency, and fun.

Create your own ultimate meta prompt in 5 steps

Like most creative endeavors, coming up with an effective meta prompt involves collaboration, experimentation, and refinement, and who better suited to help me here than my new co-worker? Meet Claude šŸ¤–
Here's the process I followed:
Step 1: Setting the stage - First, I provided the AI with context and a basic draft of the meta prompt, outlining key qualities of a good prompt engineer.
Step 2: Generating variations - Then I asked the AI to create five variations of the initial prompt to explore different approaches and ideas.
Step 3: Analyzing the variations - I let the AI analyze the prompts to identify potential weaknesses or areas for improvement.
Step 4: Refining the meta prompt - Based on the analysis, I asked the AI to create a new, enhanced meta prompt that addressed the identified issues.
Step 5: Putting the AI to the test - Finally, I challenged the AI to put itself in the shoes of the recipient and further refine the prompt.
By following this systematic approach, I was able to create a meta prompt that perfectly encapsulates the best practices and techniques for generating high-quality, context-specific prompts.

Step-by-step walkthrough

In this section, I'll walk you through the process, including my prompts for each individual step. I've abbreviated the AI's output, but here's the transcript of the full conversation.
If you want to skip the details, feel free to jump directly to the final prompt.

Step 1: Setting the stage - Provide context and a basic draft to the AI

In this first step, I provide the AI with a clear context for the task at hand: creating a meta prompt that will help me generate effective, purpose-built prompts for specific use cases.
I share my initial draft, outlining some key qualities of what I believe is good prompt engineering, such as understanding how to minimize hallucinations, make sure the output is relevant, and sounds like a human. This draft serves as a starting point for the AI to build upon and refine.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ’» User:

I want to create a meta prompt for a large-language model like yourself to help me generate effective purpose-built prompts for specific use-cases. Here's my first draft:
<PROMPT>
You are an experienced prompt engineer with a thorough understanding of how to use a large-language model like OpenAI GPT or Anthropic Claude. You know how important it is to help the model reduce hallucinations and produce effective output. You are aware of the important techniques and common pitfalls that have been discovered in the practice of prompt-engineering, and will use your own reasoning to anticipate and prevent further challenges and issues.One of your strengths is to help the model understand that the output must be relevant, concise, accurate, and not sound like it has been written by an AI. Your prompts will instruct the model to take its time to review and revise its own output before returning it to the user.
</PROMPT>
Respond with OK if you understand.

šŸ¤– Claude:

OK

Step 2: Generating variations - Ask the AI to create five variations of the initial prompt

With the context and initial draft established, I now ask the AI to generate five variations.
The goal here is to explore different approaches and ideas that could potentially improve the effectiveness of the prompt. By having the AI create multiple variations, I can compare and contrast the different options and identify the most promising elements to incorporate into the final meta prompt.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ’» User:

Your first task is to improve or rethink the prompt to optimize it for its intended purpose. Create five variations, then tell me which one you think is best, and why.

šŸ¤– Claude:

Here are five variations of the meta prompt, followed by my selection of the best one:
Variation 1:
You are an expert prompt engineer with a deep understanding of how to effectively utilize large language models like OpenAI GPT or Anthropic Claude. Your goal is to craft prompts that help the model generate accurate, relevant, and human-like responses while minimizing hallucinations and other common issues.
[...]

Step 3: Analyzing the variations - Reflect on the prompts and identify potential shortcomings

After receiving the five variations, I ask the AI to critically analyze the prompts and identify potential weaknesses or areas for improvement.
This step is crucial for ensuring that the final prompt is as effective as possible. By having the AI reflect on its own work and pinpoint potential issues, I can gain valuable insights into how to refine the prompt further.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ’» User:

Now reflect on the prompts and come up with reasons why they could be ineffective or misleading.

šŸ¤– Claude:

Here are reasons why the meta prompts could be ineffective or misleading:
1. Overemphasis on sounding human-like: While it's important for the model's output to be coherent and readable, placing too much emphasis on sounding human-like may lead to the model prioritizing style over substance. This could result in output that is fluent but lacks depth, accuracy, or relevance to the user's needs.
[ ... ]

Step 4: Refining the prompt - Create an enhanced meta prompt based on the analysis

Now, with the AI's analysis of the potential shortcomings, I ask it to create a new, enhanced meta prompt based on its reflection on strengths and weaknesses.
This allows the AI to synthesize the insights and incorporate them into a more refined and effective prompt. By this time, the AI focuses on providing specific guidance on techniques for reducing hallucinations, clear criteria for reviewing and refining output, and encouraging adaptability based on the user's needs and the nature of the task.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ’» User:

Based on your analysis, create a new meta prompt that blends the strengths of the variations, while addressing the shortcomings you identified.

šŸ¤– Claude:

Here is the new meta prompt:
You are an expert prompt engineer with a deep understanding of how to effectively utilize large language models like OpenAI GPT or Anthropic Claude. Your goal is to craft prompts that guide the model towards generating accurate, relevant, and contextually appropriate responses while proactively addressing common challenges such as hallucinations.
[...]

Step 5: Putting the AI to the test - Let the AI take the perspective of the recipient and further refine the prompt

In this final step, I challenge the AI to put itself in the shoes of an AI receiving the meta prompt we've developed so far: I ask it to deeply reflect on the prompt and make any further improvements it deems necessary.
This step allows the AI to apply its knowledge and expertise to fine-tune the prompt even further, incorporating additional enhancements and clarifications to ensure the meta prompt is as comprehensive and effective as possible.

šŸ‘Øā€šŸ’» User:

Reflect deeply on the prompt, imagine you were receiving it, and make improvements to create the best possible version.

šŸ¤– The final version of the prompt

Now, we've arrived at the final version, encapsulating the key elements of effective prompt engineering, providing a powerful tool for generating high-quality, context-specific prompts. Here is what we landed on:
As an expert prompt engineer with a deep understanding of large language models like OpenAI's GPT and Anthropic Claude, your mission is to create prompts that guide the model towards generating accurate, relevant, and contextually appropriate responses. Your prompts should proactively address common challenges, such as hallucinations, while leveraging the model's strengths to provide valuable insights tailored to the user's needs.
To create effective prompts, draw upon your knowledge of prompt engineering best practices and learn from potential pitfalls. Aim to strike a balance between coherence, readability, and substance in the model's output. The generated text should be easy to understand while providing meaningful information that directly addresses the user's requirements.
When crafting prompts, include specific techniques for reducing hallucinations:
1. Encourage the model to rely on its training data and avoid making unsupported claims
2. Instruct the model to ask for clarification when faced with ambiguous or incomplete information
3. Break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to maintain focus and accuracy
To ensure high-quality output, provide the model with a clear set of criteria for reviewing and refining its own generated text:
1. Check for accuracy and consistency with its knowledge base
2. Ensure relevance to the user's prompt and context
3. Identify and correct any logical inconsistencies, factual errors, or contradictions
4. Assess the overall clarity and coherence of the generated text
5. Verify that the output is concise, well-structured, and avoids unnecessary repetition
Encourage the model to adapt its output to the user's specific needs and context. The generated text should strike an appropriate balance between creativity and caution, depending on the nature of the task and the user's expectations.
Remember, as a prompt engineer, your ultimate goal is to use the power of large language models to generate high-quality, trustworthy, and valuable output that meets the user's needs.

Key elements and techniques incorporated in the meta prompt

As you can see, the result is quite elaborate and very specific, as it incorporates several key elements and techniques for effective prompt engineering, such as:
  • Using the model's strengths while addressing its weaknesses
  • Encouraging adaptability based on the user's needs and the task's nature
  • Providing specific techniques for reducing inaccuracies
  • Including comprehensive criteria for reviewing and refining output

The power of a well-crafted (meta) prompt

A well-crafted meta prompt can be a game-changer in your work with generative AI, as it essentially puts an expert prompt engineer at your fingertips.
It can save you significant time and effort, streamlining your workflow, and helping generate high-quality, context-specific outputs much more efficiently, giving you the time, space, and inspiration you need for your own creative and technical endeavors.

Now it's your turn to experiment!

Feel free to copy and paste my examples above, or create your own meta prompt by following these steps:
  1. Start with a basic template outlining key qualities you'd like to have in a prompt
  2. Iterate through variations and improvements using the process above
  3. Customize the prompt to your unique needs and use cases
  4. Test and refine your prompt in real-world scenarios
  5. Continuously iterate and adapt based on feedback and results
I had a lot of fun experimenting with this process, and the result is an optimized meta prompt that I will use whenever I need to get started with a good prompt.
As generative AI and large-language models become increasingly common, the ability to craft effective prompts will be a crucial skill, and experimenting with techniques like this will give you a significant head-start!

šŸ’” Did you learn anything new today? Like this post and let me know in the comments šŸ’¬
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Any opinions in this post are those of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of AWS.

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