🟢 Session 4 — Exercises
The art of speaking to AI (prompting)
“Applied AI” program — Yann Isola — Beginner Level These exercises are done in pairs or solo. Access to an AI chatbot is required (ChatGPT, Le Chat, Claude, Gemini, etc.) for exercises 2 and 3. Exercise 1 can be done entirely on paper.
📝 Exercise 1 — Save these prompts! (15 mins)
Objective
Transform vague prompts into precise prompts with the 5 ingredient recipe.
Recipe reminder
| Ingredient | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| 🌍 Background | What should the AI know about my situation? |
| 🎭 Role | What character should she play? |
| 🎯 Task | What should she do, exactly? (action verb) |
| 📐 Format | In what form do I want the answer? |
| 🚧 Constraints | What limits? (length, level, tone…) |
Order
Here are 4 “sick” prompts. For each:
- Diagnose: what ingredients are missing?
- Rewrite it in a “bon prompt” version (at least 4 out of 5 ingredients).
| # | Prompt sick 🤒 |
|---|---|
| HAS | “Tell me about space. » |
| B | “Help me with my presentation. » |
| C | “Give me a recipe. » |
| D | “What is the Internet? » |
Corrected example (to guide you)
- Prompt sick: “Tell me about dogs. »
- Diagnosis: no specific task, no context, no format, no constraints.
- Neat version: “I want to adopt my first dog and I live in an apartment (context). You are a trusted veterinarian (role). Recommend me 3 suitable breeds (stain) in table form: breed, size, character, need for exercise (format). Keep it simple, I don't know anything about it (constraint). »
Bonus (if you have a computer)
Test your “before” version then your “after” version with real AI. Compare the two answers. Is the difference visible?
🎭 Exercise 2 — The role challenge (15 min)
Objective
Discover to what extent the role transforms a response.
Order
-
Choose ONE question from this list (or make up your own):
- “Explain why the sky is blue. »
- “Explain what money is. »
- “Explain why we have to sleep. »
-
Ask this same question 3 times to AI (in 3 separate conversations if possible), with 3 different roles:
- Test 1 — without role : ask the question as is.
- Test 2 — serious role : “You are a science teacher for 6th grade students. » + the question.
- Test 3 — crazy role : choose ! “You are a pirate”, “You are a football commentator”, “You are a grandmother who tells a story”, “You are a robot who discovers the Earth”…
-
Complete the comparison table:
| Test 1 (without role) | Test 2 (teacher) | Test 3 (crazy role) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response length | |||
| Vocabulary (simple/complicated) | |||
| Tone (serious / funny / neutral) | |||
| My preference rating /10 |
- Reflection question (2-3 sentences): For a class presentation, what role would you choose and why?
💡 Things to remember
The role does not change the facts — it changes the way to tell them : language level, tone, examples. Choosing the right role means choosing the right “translator” between knowledge and you.
⛓️ Exercise 3 — The gold chain (20 min)
Objective
Construct a complex result step by step with the chaining of prompts, instead of asking everything at once.
Assignment
Choose ONE big project:
- 🎂 Organize an unforgettable birthday party
- 📚 Prepare a presentation on an animal of your choice
- 🎮 Invent a complete board game
- 🌍 Plan an (imaginary) weekend in a European city
Step 0 — The “all at once” test
First, ask EVERYTHING in one prompt:
“Give me [your project] complete with all the details. »
Copy or write down the answer. We'll come back to that.
Steps 1 to 4 — The chain
Now start again 4 links . Write your 4 prompts BEFORE sending them:
| Link | Purpose of the prompt | My prompt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get ideas/general plan | |
| 2 | Choose ONE idea and develop it | |
| 3 | Specify an important detail (menu, part of the presentation, rules of the game, etc.) | |
| 4 | Finalize (summary, list of materials, checklist, etc.) |
Golden rule: at each link, read the answer and correct if necessary before moving on to the next one (“No, rather outdoors”, “Too expensive, stays under €30”…).
Final comparison
Answer in a few sentences:
- What method gave the best result : all of a sudden, or the chain?
- With which method did you have the most control ?
- Name a time when you corrected AI along the way. What has changed?
🏅 Bonus Challenge — The Missing Link
Exchange your chain of 4 prompts with another pair. Each pair must propose a 5th link useful for improving the other’s project. The best 5th link wins!
End of session self-assessment
Check what you know how to do:
- I know how to explain what a prompt is to someone who has never heard of it
- I know the 5 ingredients of a good prompt
- I know how to turn a vague question into a precise question
- I know how to give the AI a role to adapt its response
- I know how to request a format (list, table, steps)
- I know how to rephrase when the first answer doesn't suit me
- I know how to break down a large request into small steps
5 squares or more? You are officially an apprentice “AI whisperer”! 🎉
Exercises — Applied AI Program — Yann Isola — Beginner Level 🟢 — Session 4/10