Unlocking the Power of AI: Chain of Thought vs. Thought Generation Prompts

Lesson 5

Today, I'm sharing something special with all of you—a glimpse into our exclusive mini-prompt course typically reserved for our paid subscribers.

Enjoy this complimentary lesson, and if you love it, consider joining our community for more !

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Hey there, everyone! I hope you're enjoying this mini-series, but more importantly, I want to make sure you're actually learning.

Your feedback is gold, folks!

This mini-prompt course isn't set in stone - we can totally customize it with prompts and analogies that hit home for you. So don't be shy, let me know what's working and what's not!

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Today, we're diving deeper into the AI prompting rabbit hole with our fifth lesson.

We're going to explore two seriously powerful techniques: chain-of-thought prompting and thought prompting.

Trust me, these are game-changers!

With that said, let's get back to the course. If you need a refresher, feel free to revisit the earlier lessons shown below.

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Mastering Few-Shot Prompting: Your First Steps

Harnessing AI Brilliance: Unveiling the Power of Prompts

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Once you're ready, let's roll up our sleeves and dig into today's lesson.

We're going to break down the differences between these two techniques, and I'll show you why both are must-have tools in your prompting toolbox if you want to level up your AI game. So, let's start with the first technique:

Chain-of-Thought Prompting: Guiding AI's Reasoning

Chain-of-thought prompting is like giving your AI a step-by-step roadmap to solve problems. It's all about breaking things down into bite-sized pieces so the AI can follow along and come up with a solid answer.

Think of it like guiding a friend through a tricky puzzle, one piece at a time, until they see the big picture.

Let's use a real-world example to make this crystal clear:

Imagine a local bakery trying to figure out how much to charge for a cake to turn a profit. They'd use chain-of-thought prompting to break down each cost, starting with ingredients, then labor, and finally suggesting a price that covers everything with a little extra for that sweet, sweet profit.

Here's how it would look as a prompt:

A local bakery wants to determine the price of a cake to ensure they make a profit. Please calculate the price step by step:

1. Identify and list the costs of all ingredients needed to make the cake (e.g., flour, eggs, sugar).
2. Calculate the total ingredient costs.
3. Include labor costs by estimating the time required to make the cake and applying an hourly wage rate.
4. Add any additional overhead costs such as utilities or equipment maintenance.
5. Determine a suitable profit margin to add to the total cost.
6. Provide the final price of the cake that covers all costs and includes the desired profit margin.
Please explain each step clearly.

Now that we've seen how chain-of-thought prompting works, let's switch gears and look at our second technique:

Thought Prompting: Unleashing AI's Creative Potential

While chain-of-thought prompting is great for logical problem-solving, thought prompting is a whole different ball game.

It's all about getting your AI to think outside the box, come up with wild ideas, and explore different angles. This technique is perfect for brainstorming sessions, generating fresh ideas, or looking at problems from new perspectives.

Let's stick with our local bakery example to see how thought prompting might look in action:

1. New Product Ideas

The local bakery wants to introduce new items to their menu. Please suggest a variety of creative new baked goods they could offer. Consider unique flavors, seasonal themes, and dietary preferences.

2. Special Promotions

The local bakery wants to run special promotions to attract more customers. Please generate ideas for creative promotions, such as discounts, loyalty programs, holiday specials, or themed events.

So, you're probably getting the hang of prompting by now, right? Let's break down the difference between these two techniques in a way that's easy to digest:

• Chain-of-thought prompting is all about logical reasoning. It's like following a recipe step-by-step to bake the perfect cake.

• Thought prompting, on the other hand, is more like a brainstorming session where anything goes. It's about throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks.

While chain-of-thought prompting is your go-to for detailed analysis, thought prompting is your best friend when you need to think big and get creative.

Now that we've covered the key differences, it's time to put these concepts into practice.

Let's start with an exercise to help you get comfortable with each technique:

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Exercise 1: Chain-of-Thought Prompting

Objective: Create a prompt that requires breaking down a problem into logical, sequential steps.

Here's a template to guide you:

Define the Goal: Start with a clear objective or problem to solve.

1. Identify Key Components: List the main elements involved in achieving the goal.

2. Detail Each Step: Break down the process into smaller, manageable steps.

3. Consider Dependencies: Note any dependencies or prerequisites for each step.

4. Encourage Explanation: Ask the model to explain its reasoning at each stage.

Example: "You're planning a sustainable garden in your backyard. Please outline the steps to start the garden, including choosing plants, preparing the soil, and setting up irrigation. Explain why each step is necessary."

Your Turn:

• Write your own chain-of-thought prompt using the template. Start with a clear goal and guide the AI through a detailed, step-by-step reasoning process.

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Exercise 2: Thought Prompting

Objective: Create a prompt that encourages generating creative ideas or solutions.

Here's a template to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Set the Context: Describe a situation or challenge that requires creative thinking.

2. Encourage Variety: Ask for multiple ideas or approaches.

3. Specify Focus Areas: Highlight specific areas to brainstorm on (e.g., marketing, product development).

4. Inspire Innovation: Encourage thinking outside the box and exploring unconventional solutions.

Example: "The local bakery wants to launch a new line of healthy snacks. Please brainstorm various product ideas, packaging concepts, and marketing strategies to appeal to health-conscious customers."

Your Turn:

• Create your own thought prompting exercise using the template. Set a creative challenge and encourage the AI to generate diverse ideas and solutions.

Don't just sit there - Let’s get to it …

It's time to put your newfound knowledge to work! Here's what I want you to do:

1. Create your own chain-of-thought prompt using the template we discussed. Pick a problem you're facing in your work or daily life and break it down step-by-step.

2. Whip up a thought prompting exercise. Think of a challenge that needs some creative juice and let your imagination run wild.

3. Try both prompts with your favorite AI tool and see what happens. You might be surprised at the results!

4. Share your experiences in the comments below. What worked? What didn't? Did you have any "aha!" moments?

Remember, the real learning happens when you roll up your sleeves and dive in. So don't be shy - give it a shot and let us know how it goes!

Stay curious and keep experimenting! 🧪✨

P.S. Got questions or need some help? Drop them in the comments. We're all in this together, and I'm here to help you become a prompting pro!