Hey folks! Ever ask an LLM a question and get something… wild back? 🤪 Yeah, I’ve been there! It’s like the LLM just makes stuff up. And guess what? It kinda does! The author of this awesome Reddit post, PMMEWHAT_UR_PROUD_OF, dropped some serious knowledge bombs about this.
Turns out, LLMs aren’t answering your questions; they’re just predicting the next word. Mind = blown, right? 🤯 It’s like they’re a super-smart parrot, but we gotta teach ’em the right tune!
✨ The Big Realization ✨
Think of every LLM response as a potential “hallucination.”
It’s not pulling from a database of facts, it’s just guessing what sounds right.
The post compared it to trusting any random Redditor for nuanced info – sometimes good, often… not so much! 😂
⚙️ Supercharge Your Prompts! ⚙️
The post lays out a super helpful 4-step process to guide these LLMs from rambling Redditor to focused fact-finder. It’s all about setting the stage!
- 📌 1. Prime the Chat: Start by getting the LLM on the right track. Give it a general topic it definitely knows about.
Example: If you want dream facts, start with “talk about studies with dreams.” - 🎯 2. Hone In: Now, narrow it down. Get specific about what you’re after.
Example: Follow up with “What do we know for certain about dreams?” - 🔗 3. Link to Reality (This is HUGE!): This is where the magic happens! Make the LLM check its own work.
Example: Tell it to “Prepare to use the internet… Go through your last 2 responses and find every factual claim… verify each item… If you find something not factually based, fix it.” - ❓ 4. Ask Your Real Question: Now that your LLM is primed and fact-checked, ask what you really wanted to know!
Example: “I’m trying to understand a dream I had. [dream details].”
💡 Why This Works 💡
Instead of just saying “Act as a psychotherapist” (which gets you an armchair expert), you’re guiding the LLM through a process. You’re placing its attention where actual data lives. It’s like training wheels for its brain!
The author prefers this multi-shot approach because it seriously boosts the quality of the answers. No more wild guesses, just better, more grounded information!
This approach seriously changed how I think about prompting. It’s less about asking and more about guiding.
Want all the nitty-gritty details and the full examples? You gotta check out the original Reddit post! It’s a fantastic read.
🚀 Dive deeper into the full post for the complete lowdown!
Knowing that a response is not “answering” you, is a powerful tool to prompt engineering.
byu/PMMEWHAT_UR_PROUD_OF in