Part 2 - Building Skill
5. Give the AI a Role
Goal: Set the AI's perspective and expertise by assigning it a role.
Telling the AI who to be changes the vocabulary, depth and viewpoint of its answer. 'You are a patient tutor' produces gentle explanations; 'You are a strict editor' produces blunt corrections. The role is a shortcut to the tone and expertise you want.
A role works best when paired with the audience. 'You are a doctor explaining to a 10-year-old' sets both the expertise and the level in one line.
The Script (Template)
You are [a role/expert]. [Task] for [audience].
Worked Example
You write
You are a friendly personal trainer. Explain to a total beginner how to start running, in 4 short steps, and warn about the most common mistake.
AI replies (sample)
1. Start with a brisk 5-minute walk to warm up. 2. Alternate 1 minute of easy jogging with 2 minutes of walking, for 20 minutes total. 3. Do this three times a week, adding a little jogging each week. 4. Always cool down with a slow walk and gentle stretches. Most common mistake: starting too fast and too far, which causes soreness and quitting. Go slower than feels necessary.
Why it works
The 'friendly personal trainer' role set an encouraging tone and practical expertise, while 'total beginner' kept it simple.
Do & Avoid
Tips
- Combine role + audience + format for strong control in one line.
- Swap the role to get a second opinion: 'Now answer as a cautious accountant.'
Common Mistakes
- Giving a role but forgetting the audience, so the level is still off.
- Using a fake credential to make answers sound authoritative - it does not add real accuracy.
Practice
- Ask the same question with three different roles and compare the tone.
- Write a prompt that combines a role, an audience and a format.
My Practice — capture your own script
Write your own version of this lesson's script, run it in your AI chat, then paste the reply. Your work is saved on this device; use Download to keep a copy.