Who am I?

Hello and welcome to my next, third article in the AI Knowledge Hub! 🙋‍♂️

My name is Jacob Kowalski - a corporate tax consultant from Poland who is really into AI stuff.

I am creating with AI many really cool things like: chatbots, AI assistants, automations, agents, etc. 🤖

I think we are living in a the biggest revolution of our generation and want to share my thoughts about it. Maybe for some of you they will be interesting or maybe you want to share your take on this too.

If you want to know more about me and what I am doing, check out my page with button below. 👇

“Everyone is using AI right know - you can too”

Hi! 👋

This article is from the “Don't be me” series - based on my own failures and pains, I want to show how to work with AI in such a way that it meets your every (realistic) expectation.

My own serious AI journey began about half a year ago, though my first encounter with ChatGPT was actually several years back out of pure curiosity. 🤔

Initially, I used it for basic writing tasks for my old blog. Then I discovered it could provide training and diet tips. Before long, I was asking it those silly questions I was too shy to ask anyone else. 💭

What started as curiosity became an everyday partnership. 🤝

But I'll be honest – at first, I had serious concerns about AI.

I knew nothing about it and didn't know whether to trust its responses. Sometimes it gave me completely wrong answers or seemed to misunderstand my questions entirely. ❓

Now I know the truth: it wasn't AI's fault – it was mine. My lack of knowledge about how to properly communicate with AI was the real problem. 💡

That is why I created this post, to help everyone that is starting with AI or want to know how to use it in proper and convenient way 👇

Introduction

The AI is everywhere now.

Businesses are scaling with AI, and every social platform is flooded with AI-generated content, from articles to images to videos. 📈

But here's what many people don't realize: AI isn't just for businesses and content creators. 🧑‍💻

From the moment ChatGPT launched, people started using it for homework help, essay writing, and even cooking recipes and they are still using it now.

The same powerful AI technology transforming entire industries has just as much potential – if not more – to revolutionize your everyday life. 🤖

Prompt - How to Communicate with AI

A prompt is simply the instruction or question you give to an AI tool like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Think of it as having a conversation with a very smart assistant – the clearer your request, the better the response you'll get. It's literally the text you type into the chat box that tells the AI what you want it to do.

Why Prompting Matters?

AI is only as good as the instructions you give it. A vague prompt like "help me with my diet" will get you generic, unhelpful responses. But a well-crafted prompt can generate output that saves you hours of work, anger and delivers exactly what you need. The difference between frustrated AI users and successful ones isn't the tool – it's how they communicate with it.

Poor prompting wastes time, money and your energy. Studies show that people spend an average of 23 minutes re-prompting AI tools to get usable results. That's nearly 2 hours per week of lost productivity. Meanwhile, users who master prompting get their desired results in 1-2 attempts, saving 80% of their time.

The 5-Step Prompting Framework That Actually Works

After testing hundreds of prompts, I've found a simple framework that consistently delivers better results. Here's my proven method:

1. Role - Tell AI Who to Be

Define what expert or persona you want the AI to embody. This sets the knowledge base and perspective.

Examples:

• "You are a professional marketing consultant..."

• "Act as an experienced fitness trainer..."

• "You are a patient teacher explaining to a beginner..."

2. Task - Be Crystal Clear About What You Want

State exactly what you need the AI to do. Use action verbs and be specific. The more data you will include here, the better response you will get.

Examples:

• "Create a 7-day meal plan for weight loss..."

• "Write a professional email declining a meeting..."

• "Explain quantum physics in simple terms..."

3. Context - Provide the Background Information

Give the AI the relevant details it needs to customize the response to your situation. You can also include something called emotional prompting - the one sentence about how the output is important to you i.e. you are in life-saving situation, or my work/career depends on the quality of your answer - trust me it works.

Examples:

• "I'm a busy parent with 30 minutes for meal prep..."

• "The meeting conflicts with a family emergency..."

• "I'm a high school student struggling with physics..."

4. Examples - Show What Good Looks Like

Provide examples of the style, format, or type of response you want. This is optional but incredibly powerful.

Examples:

• "That is my previous article/essay - keep this style"

• "Format like this: Problem → Solution → Benefit"

• "Use a tone like this email: [paste example]"

5. Notes - Add Special Instructions

Include any constraints, preferences, or additional requirements.

Examples:

• "Keep it under 200 words"

• "Write in English/Spanish/Italian"

• "Include 3 actionable steps"

• "Make it sound friendly but professional"

Complete Example: Before vs. After

❌ Bad Prompt: "Help me with my resume"

✅ Good Prompt Using the Framework: 

Role: You are an experienced HR professional who has reviewed thousands of resumes.

Task: Rewrite my resume summary to make it more compelling for marketing manager positions.

Context: I have 5 years of digital marketing experience, increased social media engagement by 300% at my current job, and want to transition to a larger company.

Examples: Write it similar to this style: "Results-driven professional with proven track record of..."

Notes: Keep it under 100 words and focus on quantifiable achievements.

The difference? The first prompt gets you generic resume advice. The second gets you a customized, professional resume summary in one try. 🎯

Your Google Alternative

Remember spending 20 minutes clicking through multiple websites to find one simple answer? Those days are over. While Google gives you links to dig through, AI search tools give you direct, comprehensive answers with all the sources cited. It's like having a research assistant that reads everything for you and delivers a perfect summary.

The game changed completely when AI tools gained internet access. ChatGPT now incorporates current information from the web and includes links to its sources, while Perplexity provides accurate, trusted, and real-time answers to any question.

These aren't just chatbots anymore – they're intelligent search engines that understand context and provide exactly what you need.

Top AI Search Tools

1. Perplexity AI (Free)

Perplexity is a free AI-powered answer engine that provides accurate, trusted, and real-time answers to any question. Every response includes clickable source citations, making it perfect for research.

2. ChatGPT Plus with Web Search (Paid)

ChatGPT automatically activates web search when real-time information is needed and includes a "sources" sidebar with references to original content. Available for ChatGPT Plus subscribers.

3. Google AI Overview (Free)

From some time Google search has a AI summary at the top of the search, it provides information from first websited and summarize it with references to original sources.

Basic Prompts for AI Search

Instead of typing keywords like in Google, use complete sentences that specify exactly what you need:

❌ Google-style: "best restaurants NYC 2024"

✅ AI Search: "Find me the top 5 restaurants in Manhattan that opened in 2024, with their specialties and average meal costs"

❌ Google-style: "iPhone 15 vs Samsung Galaxy S24"

✅ AI Search: "Compare iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for photography, battery life, and value for money. I'm upgrading from iPhone 12."

Real-Time Information Provider

AI tools now have the instant access to live information that changes by the minute. AI search delivers current data with context and analysis. It's like having a team of researchers monitoring everything 24/7 and briefing you instantly.

What Real-Time AI Can Do for Your Daily Life

Modern AI tools can provide current weather forecasts, live currency exchange rates, breaking news summaries, sports scores, stock prices, travel information, and event updates all in one place. Instead of opening 5 different apps, you get everything analyzed and contextualized instantly.

Examples from My Daily Use

Checking the Weather: 

My Prompt: "What's the weather like in Warsaw today and should I plan outdoor activities for the weekend?"

Currency Exchange: 

My Prompt: "Current PLN/EUR exchange rate and should I exchange my euros now or wait?"

Stock Monitoring: 

My Prompt: "What's Apple's current stock price and why did it move today?"

Football Match Highlights:

My Prompt: "What was the result of the yesterday’s El Clasico, write me a short summary of the match"

Top Tools for Real-Time Information

ChatGPT Plus (Paid)

ChatGPT now includes web browsing capabilities that automatically fetch current market data and can analyze stocks, currencies, and economic news in real-time.

Perplexity AI (Free)

Excels at pulling current financial data with source citations. Perfect for market research and trend analysis.

Claude (Free)

Great for analyzing financial reports and explaining complex market movements in simple terms.

Smart Prompts for Any Real-Time Information

For Weather & Planning: "Weather forecast for [CITY] for the next 3 days and best day for outdoor activities"

For Currency Exchange: "Current [CURRENCY 1]/[CURRENCY 2] exchange rate, recent trends, and best timing for exchange"

For Travel Updates: "Flight status from [ORIGIN] to [DESTINATION] today and alternative transportation options if delayed"

For Stock/Investment: "Current [COMPANY] stock price, today's performance, and key news affecting the price"

For Local Events: "What's happening in [CITY] this weekend - events, weather, and transportation updates"

For Breaking News: "Latest news about [TOPIC] and how it affects [SPECIFIC AREA/INDUSTRY]"

Visualize your Thoughts - AI Image Generators

Need a logo mockup? Social media post? Product visualization? Website banner You don't need to hire a designer or learn Photoshop anymore. AI image generation has democratized visual content creation, allowing anyone to produce professional-quality images in minutes, not days.

AI image tools can create custom illustrations, generate social media graphics, design logos and branding materials, create product mockups, produce marketing visuals, generate artwork for presentations, and even help with home renovation visualizations. The quality has reached the point where many businesses use AI-generated images for their actual marketing campaigns.

I made an article about the best AI Image Generation Tools, you can check it right here.

Top AI Image Generation Tools (Free & Paid)

ChatGPT Plus with DALL-E 3 (Paid)

Integrated directly into ChatGPT, you can generate images while having a conversation about your project. Great for iterating and refining ideas quickly.

SORA (Paid)

OpenAI's revolutionary video generation tool that creates realistic videos from text prompts. Available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, it's perfect for creating marketing videos, social media content, and visual storytelling.

Google Gemini (Free)

Google's AI platform includes image generation capabilities alongside its conversational AI, offering seamless integration with Google's ecosystem of tools.

DeepAI (Free)

Offers multiple AI image generators including realistic image creation, artistic styles, and photo enhancement tools. Very affordable option with good quality output.

Leonardo AI (Free + Paid)

Specialized in creating production-quality visual assets with fine-tuned models for different art styles. Popular among game developers and digital artists.

Runway ML (Free + Paid)

Advanced AI creative suite offering image generation, video editing, and AI-powered video creation tools. Perfect for content creators and filmmakers.

Midjourney (Paid)

Originally available only through Discord, Midjourney now offers a web app interface and produces some of the most artistic and creative images. Popular among professional creatives.

For beginner’s daily use I highly recommend ChatGPT or Google Gemini Image Generator, it doesn’t need high prompting skills and can be adjusted many times untill you receive the right image.

How I Use Image Generators - Prompts

Social Media Post for LinkedIn: 

My Prompt: "Create a professional LinkedIn post image about AI automation, modern office setting, blue and white color scheme, include space for text overlay" 

Logo Concept Exploration: 

My Prompt: "Modern tech company logo, letters 'JK', minimalist design, incorporates AI/automation elements, suitable for business cards"

Product Visualization: 

My Prompt: "Smartphone app interface mockup, AI dashboard with charts and graphs, clean modern UI, iPhone 15 screen"

For more information about which tools choose for the your use case check my latest article on best AI Image Generator Tools here.

Simple Prompts That Generate Great Images

For Social Media: "Create a [PLATFORM] post image about [TOPIC], [COLOR SCHEME], modern design, leave space for text"

For Business Use: "Professional [TYPE] for [BUSINESS], clean modern style, [SPECIFIC COLORS], suitable for [PURPOSE]"

For Personal Projects: "Design a [ITEM] with [STYLE], incorporating [ELEMENTS], [COLOR PREFERENCES], [MOOD/FEELING]"

For Presentations: "Create an illustration showing [CONCEPT], simple and clear, suitable for business presentation, [COLOR SCHEME]"

Your Personal Tutor

Struggling to learn Excel? Need to fix your dishwasher? Want to master a new software or want to learn a new language? Instead of watching dozens of YouTube videos or paying for expensive online courses, AI can become your personal tutor that adapts to your learning pace and explains things in your preferred style.

Current AI Tools can provide step-by-step tutorials customized to your skill level, explain complex concepts in simple terms, create practice exercises, troubleshoot problems in real-time, provide repair instructions with safety warnings, and adapt teaching methods to your learning style. It's like having a patient expert available 24/7 who never gets frustrated with your questions.

My Personal Best AI Platforms for Learning

Chat GPT / Google Gemini (Free)

As they have vast knowledge from whole internet they are handy with basic tutorials like language learning, repairing, troubleshooting etc.

Anthropic Claude (Free)

Same case like with the above tools, but this one is most focused on software and code-related tutorials. Quite handy when you need to learn some new technical skills.

How do I Learn with AI

Learning Voiceflow (AI Platform): 

My Prompt: "I'm a beginner with Voiceflow. Explain how to create a simple chatbot that collects user email addresses, step by step"

Dishwasher Repair: 

My Prompt: "My dishwasher isn't draining properly, water stays at the bottom. What are the most common causes and how do I fix them safely?"

Computer Troubleshooting: 

My Prompt: "My laptop is running very slowly, takes 10 minutes to start. What are the most likely causes and solutions?"

Language Lessons: 

My Prompt: "I am going to the Japan next month. What should I know about their culture and how to behave to not insult them. What are the biggest cultural differences. Also please help me learn basic words in Japanese"

Best Learning Prompts That Work

For Software Learning: "Teach me [SOFTWARE/SKILL] step by step, I'm a [SKILL LEVEL]. Start with [SPECIFIC TASK] and explain like I'm learning for the first time"

For Repair Issues: "My [APPLIANCE/DEVICE] has [PROBLEM]. What are the most common causes, safety precautions, and step-by-step repair instructions?"

For Skill Development: "I want to learn [SKILL] for [PURPOSE]. Create a learning plan with practical exercises, starting from [MY CURRENT LEVEL]"

For Troubleshooting: "Problem: [DESCRIBE ISSUE]. Device: [DEVICE/SOFTWARE]. What I've tried: [LIST]. What should I check next?"

How AI Can Increase Your Productivity

Emails piling up? Can't find time to plan your week? Struggling with professional communication? AI can become your personal assistant that handles routine tasks, writes professional emails, organizes your schedule, and manages the small stuff so you can focus on what actually matters in your business and personal life.

What Your AI Assistant Can Handle

AI assistants can draft professional emails and responses, create meeting agendas and summaries, plan your daily and weekly schedules, write social media content for personal branding, organize task lists and priorities, handle customer service responses, create professional documents and proposals, and even manage your personal projects and goals. It's like having a skilled assistant who works for the cost of a coffee.

Top AI Tools for Personal Productivity

ChatGPT (Free)

Best all-around assistant for writing, planning, and problem-solving

Claude (Free) 

Excellent for long-form writing and complex document analysis

Google Gemini (Free) 

Great integration with Google Workspace tools

Notion AI (Paid)

Perfect for note-taking and project management integration

Real Productivity Examples That Save Hours

Professional Email Writing: 

My Prompt: "Write a professional email declining a meeting request due to scheduling conflict, suggest alternative times next week, keep it polite and brief"

Meeting Preparation: 

My Prompt: "Create an agenda for a 1-hour client meeting about AI automation project. Include: project overview, timeline discussion, budget review, next steps" 

Social Media Content: 

My Prompt: "Write 5 LinkedIn posts about AI trends for this week, professional tone, include questions to engage audience, mention recent developments"

Task Organization: 

My Prompt: "I have these 15 tasks this week: [LIST]. Prioritize them by urgency and importance, suggest daily schedule"

Power Prompts for Personal Productivity

For Email Management: "Write a [TYPE] email to [RECIPIENT] about [TOPIC]. Tone: [PROFESSIONAL/CASUAL]. Key points: [LIST]. Keep it [LENGTH]"

For Planning & Organization: "Create a [DAILY/WEEKLY] schedule including: [TASKS/MEETINGS]. Consider: [CONSTRAINTS]. Optimize for [PRIORITY]"

For Professional Communication: "Draft a [DOCUMENT TYPE] for [PURPOSE]. Include: [KEY ELEMENTS]. Target audience: [DESCRIPTION]. Length: [SPECIFICATION]"

For Content Creation: "Create [NUMBER] [PLATFORM] posts about [TOPIC]. Tone: [STYLE]. Include: [SPECIFIC ELEMENTS]. Audience: [DESCRIPTION]"

Summary

As you can see AI is not only used for business automation and is not just for developers and programmers

To a large extent, AI also helps people in their daily duties, tasks and problems, and it can also help you if you take a moment and learn how to talk to it.

Sources

The sources I’ve used to create this article are:

• https://chatgpt.com

• https://gemini.google.com/app?hl=pl

• claude.ai