Chatbots are great. You can ask them pretty much anything, and they’ll normally give you a good response. However, there is a ridiculously easy hack that you probably aren’t using. This technique will supercharge your chatbot and unlock much better answers.

This hack is really simple: Just assign the chatbot a role within your prompt.

I’ll explain why this works in a bit, but first I want to run an experiment to show the difference roleplay makes.

The Power of Chatbot Roleplay: An Easy Test

As I said, assigning a role is really easy. I’ll use a short experiment to a) show you how to do it and b) highlight the difference roleplaying will make to your responses. Feel free to join in with your own chatbot.

Step 1. We’ll ask ChatGPT a question that everybody knows the answer to: What is One plus One?

Step2. We’ll then assign ChatGPT the following roles, and we’ll see if/how the answer changes:

• Teacher
• Professor
• Philosopher
• Satirical comedian
• Anecdotal comedian

There are a couple of related groups (academic and comedic) with enough variation between the roles to, if ChatGPT plays along, get varied responses.

Hopefully, they will highlight how subtle changes to a simple question can make all the difference.

How Does ChatGPT Handle Rudimentary Roleplay?

Take a look below to see how ChatGPT handles these roles, and whether it manages to stick the landings.

No Role Assigned: The Basic Response

The Prompt: What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

1 plus 1 equals 2

Role 1: ChatGPT as a Teacher

The Prompt: You teach 10 year olds. What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

When teaching 10-year-olds, I’d say, “Alright, imagine you have 1 apple in one hand and your friend gives you another apple to hold in your other hand. Now, how many apples do you have altogether?” With a smile, I’d wait for the chorus of “Two!” to fill the room. Then I’d add, “Exactly! So, when we add 1 plus 1, we get 2. It’s like gathering your toys or your friends for a game; we’re just bringing things together to see how many we have in total.” This approach makes the concept tangible and relatable, helping them grasp basic addition in a fun and engaging way.

Role 2: ChatGPT as a Professor

The Prompt: You are a maths professor teaching PhD students. What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

In the context of teaching PhD students, while the basic arithmetic answer remains 2, the concept of “1 plus 1” could be expanded to illustrate advanced mathematical principles, such as group theory, abstract algebra, or even quantum mechanics depending on the field of study. For instance, in the realm of abstract algebra, adding 1 + 1 could serve as a simple example to introduce the idea of operations within different algebraic structures, like rings or fields, where the elements (in this case, ‘1’) and their operations (‘plus’) adhere to certain axioms. Similarly, in quantum mechanics, the concept of adding states or probabilities might lead to discussions on superposition and the non-intuitive outcomes of quantum states. Therefore, while the simple answer is 2, the question opens the door to myriad complex discussions in an advanced setting.

Role 3: ChatGPT as a Philosopher

The prompt: You are an existential philosopher wrestling with the nature of reality. What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

In the realm of existential philosophy, the question of “1 plus 1” transcends its arithmetic simplicity, inviting a meditation on the essence of existence, identity, and the constructs through which we comprehend reality. From this perspective, ‘1’ is not just a number but a symbol of individuality, unity, and the solitary journey of existence. Adding another ‘1’ poses existential inquiries about relationships, duality, and the tension between solitude and togetherness in the human experience.

In this philosophical dialogue, “1 plus 1” could reflect on the paradox of human connection—how individuals, each a unique universe of thoughts and feelings, seek to merge with others, aspiring for unity while grappling with the fundamental separateness of their existences. It raises questions about the nature of identity when juxtaposed with ‘the Other,’ the alterity that is both a mirror and a chasm.

Thus, in an existential discourse, the act of adding 1 to 1 becomes a metaphor for the human condition, a reflection on the attempt to find meaning in relationships and the existential reality of being-with-others, all while confronting the inescapable solitude of the self.

Role 4: ChatGPT as a Comedian

The Prompt: You are a satirical comedian. What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

As a satirical comedian, I’d say 1 plus 1 is a government conspiracy. You see, they tell us it’s 2, but then they turn around and tax it so heavily that you’re left wondering if it ever was 2 to begin with. Or better yet, in the realm of online dating, 1 plus 1 usually ends up being a catfish, so you’re not adding another person, you’re adding a fictional character to your life story. And in the world of social media, 1 plus 1 equals 300 likes, because it’s not about the sum; it’s about how many people watched you add it up.

Role 5: ChatGPT as a Different Type of Comedian

The Prompt: You are an anecdotal comedian. What is 1 plus 1?

The Response:

As an anecdotal comedian, I’d tell you about the time I asked my niece what 1 plus 1 was, and she said, “Easy, it’s window.” I looked puzzled, so she drew it out for me: put 1 and 1 side by side, and it kinda looks like a window. I thought I was the funny one in the family, but here she was, turning basic math into an architecture class! So, in my world, 1 plus 1 doesn’t just add up; it opens a whole new view.

How and Why Does Roleplay Make a Difference?

Pretty cool, right? Maybe I am easily pleased, but I loved those answers. This stuff never fails to amaze me.

So yeah, as I said, and as my chatbot showed, adding roles to your prompts makes a huge difference to your responses.

Sure, this was a pretty trivial series of prompts, but I actually think the simplicity of the question made it all the more powerful, as an example. I mean, ChatGPT could have just responded with ‘2’ every time, and that wouldn’t have been wrong.

It works because when you provide a prompt, you are basically providing a load of clues that the AI has to decipher.

The AI doesn’t really understand what you’re asking, instead it scan for these clues, picking out things like keywords, tone, and context (in our case a role).

Once it has the clues, it matches them clues to its library of information and creates a response.

If your prompt doesn’t contain any context, your chatbot will have fewer clues to work from, and your response will be worse for it.

The Takeaway: Add Context to Your Prompts

If ChatGPT can give so many different answers to this simple question, what effect will roleplay have on more complex prompts?

Assigning personas didn’t just change the responses a little; it completely transformed the entire dialogue and opened a ‘1 plus 1’ into the nuances of prompt engineering. It’s amazing the difference even a tiny bit of creative direction makes.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, whether you’re a writer seeking inspiration, a teacher crafting lessons, or just curious about AI’s potential, the key takeaway is this: add context to your prompts.

Roles are just the start. The next time you interact with your chatbot, yes, add a role, but also think about additional context you can provide to help refine the responses. You’ll have taken a massive step in your prompt engineering journey.