Prompt
Before we begin, answer these from memory. Don't look back.
- Name the four elements of an effective prompt.
- You wrote a prompt and the AI produced output in the wrong format (paragraphs instead of bullet points). Which failure category is this?
- Give an example of a hallucination versus a tone mismatch — how do you tell the difference?
- When you find a failure in AI output, what three things should you document?
Answers
- Role, Context, Format, Constraints. Role tells the AI who you are. Context gives the specific situation. Format sets structure and tone. Constraints add must-haves and boundaries.
- Format error. The AI generated the right content but in the wrong structure. This is the easiest failure to fix — just ask again with clearer format instructions.
- Hallucination = the AI states something as fact that is invented (a made-up statistic, a nonexistent source, a wrong date). Tone mismatch = the content may be factually fine but uses the wrong voice for the audience (too formal, too casual, too technical). You tell the difference by asking: is the INFORMATION wrong (hallucination) or is the EXPRESSION wrong (tone mismatch)?
- (a) Quote the specific failing text, (b) name the failure category, (c) explain why it matters for this specific task. This is the diagnosis protocol.
Bridge
Your prompt and diagnosis skills are the tools. Now we add the safety layer: knowing what information is safe to share with AI, and how to choose the right tool for the right task.