Make AI Prompting Your Super Power! Part Two
No account. No jargon. No excuses.
In my initial AI article, I discussed how to most effectively prompt1 the popular AI platforms, their individual description, context for use and use cases, strengths, and weaknesses.
Now I am here to bring the theoretical into actionable. Here’s how to begin using AI. I am going to introduce you to duck.ai, it is a platform that values security and anonymity, does not require creating an account, and does not feed the users inputs into the models for training purposes.
duck.ai also allows the user to use multiple models. I think this is extremely useful for a new user because the experience tangibly allows the user to experience the ‘personalities’ of different models, that is, their strengths, weaknesses, and default2 attitudes.
Here we go, step-by-step!
Go to duck.ai
A new tab will open and you will be presented with this window:
If you click the bottom right downward carrot, the button that says ‘5.4-nano’, you will see a dropdown like the one below. This is the list of different AI models that are available to you.
Chat GPT and Claude have very distinct ‘personalities’, strengths, and weaknesses. In order to get familiar with different AIs, I suggest querying them with the same prompt, that is, ask each AI the same question[s] and see what comes back.
For now, keep the selection as is and put in a prompt. Some initial ideas to get you started:
“What are three easy high protein breakfast ideas?”
“Explain quantum computing like I’m 12”
“What’s the difference between a cold and the flu?”
“Give me five conversation starters for a first date”
“What should I pack for a week in Portugal in October?”
Type any one of these into the prompt window and hit send. That’s it. You’ve just used AI. :-)
Notice what comes back. It will be fast, conversational, and surprisingly thorough. If you want to go deeper, keep asking questions. Disagree with something it said. Ask it to explain differently. The conversation is yours to direct.
The above prompt window will automatically create a new ‘conversation’ for you, which can be seen in the left menu panel. Here’s an example, you can see my conversations listed under Chats in the bottom left:
Each time you submit a prompt into the main window, it will create a new conversation which will be logged in the left panel. If you want to continue a conversation, click any of the ones listed in the left panel and it will come up on the screen for you.
Now that you know how to navigate the interface, here’s the fun part.
What can AI actually do for you?
I’ve used AI to look up whether tomatoes are a FODMAP food, interpret vivid dreams, work through complex career decisions, edit my Substack articles when my brain is fried, research the history of blue pigments for a crossword puzzle I built on a whim, and process things I’d otherwise have needed a therapist3 for. The range genuinely impressed me.
It’s not a search engine replacement, though it does that well. AI is more like a thinking partner that meets you wherever you are and stays in the conversation as long as you need.
Here are some ways people are using AI in meaningful ways:
Research Partner: finding information, comparing perspectives, explaining difficult concepts without the jargon.
“What’s the difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA, in plain English?”
“What are the pros and cons of intermittent fasting?”
“Explain the Israel-Palestine conflict to me like I have no background on it.”
Thinking & Writing Partner: organizing ideas, improving drafts, summarizing long documents, helping you figure out what you actually think about something.
“Here’s an email I’m struggling to write. Help me say this more clearly: [paste your draft]”
“I have three job offers and can’t decide. Here are the details, help me think through this.”
“Summarize this article for me: [paste text]”
Teacher: explaining things at your pace, in your language, answering the follow up questions you were too embarrassed to ask elsewhere.
“I’ve never understood how the stock market actually works. Can you explain it simply and then let me ask questions?”
“What is the vagus nerve and why do people keep talking about it?”
Creative Collaborator: writing, brainstorming, building things that didn’t exist before.
“I want to write a poem about my grandmother but I don’t know where to start.”
“Give me ten unusual ideas for a dinner party theme.”
“Help me come up with a name for my small business that sells handmade candles.
Reflective Companion: journaling support, emotional processing, working through decisions. This one surprises people the most. It’s also where I’d encourage the most discernment. AI is a useful mirror but it works best alongside human connection, not instead of it.
“I had a fight with my sister and I can’t stop thinking about it. Can I tell you what happened and get some perspective?”
“I’ve been feeling stuck and unmotivated for weeks. Help me figure out what might be going on.”
“I want to start journaling but don’t know where to begin. Give me a prompt.”
A note on the different AI models
Once you’ve tried a prompt on the default model, try switching to a different one from the dropdown and asking the same question. Claude and ChatGPT have noticeably different personalities. To me, one feels more analytical, the other more conversational. Neither is better, they’re just different tools. Getting a feel for both early on will make you a more confident AI user as this technology continues to evolve.
AI Disclaimer
AI gets things wrong sometimes. It can state incorrect information with complete confidence. Treat it like a well-read friend rather than an encyclopedia: useful for thinking, not always right on the facts. When something matters, verify it. I will check across different models, do a search online, and/or ask an informed human [gasp!].
You’re already doing it
The person who’s been waiting to read this article before they try AI, this is for you. You don’t need an account. You don’t need technical knowledge. You don’t need to know what a large language model is.
You just need a question, any question. :-)
Woohoo! Welcome to AI! 🦆
AI prompting refers to the instructions or inputs given to an artificial intelligence system to elicit specific responses. Effective prompts are crucial as they provide context and clarity, ensuring the AI understands the user's intent and generates relevant outputs. Sourced from Wikipedia & Glean.com
It is possible to customize AI for different ‘personalities,’ but I think it is important for the user to experience the models as they are, before getting into the deeper complexities and abilities of AI.
I don’t recommend using AI for deep personal healing work unless the user has extensive experience with healing modalities and retains strong discernment. I will discuss this in my next AI article.