Introduction: Have You Encountered These AI Writing Problems?

When using artificial intelligence to generate content, do you often feel that the output lacks "soul"? Many people have experienced this: despite entering seemingly clear prompts, the AI's output often feels repetitive, lacking depth and appeal.
As someone deeply invested in prompt engineering, I've faced these issues firsthand. Determined to solve them, I analyzed the prompts, identified flaws, and found ways to optimize them. Here's how I turned bland AI writing into something compelling—and how you can too.

Step 1: Analysis of the Original Prompt

Let’s start with a common example:

Write a 300-word article discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on society.

This prompt seems concise but contains several problems:

1. Overly broad topic: “The impact on society” is too general, making it difficult for AI to focus.
2. Unclear objectives: It doesn’t specify the angle to approach (positive, negative, or neutral).
3. Lack of defined style: There’s no instruction on tone or structure, such as academic or narrative, leading to a formulaic output.

Here’s an example of the generated content:

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society
Artificial intelligence (AI) is influencing our society in many ways. From economics to culture, AI is everywhere. It improves productivity, creates more job opportunities, but also raises concerns about unemployment. In education, AI helps students learn faster but may lead to over-reliance on technology…

Clearly, this kind of article is shallow, lacks innovation and specificity, and struggles to engage readers.

Step 2: Optimizing the Prompt

Analyzing the shortcomings of the original prompt, we can summarize the issues as follows:

1. Overly Broad Scope: The original prompt, "Discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on society," is too general and lacks a clear focus, making it difficult to produce specific or meaningful content.
2. Unclear Objectives: It does not specify the perspective, such as focusing on positive impacts, negative consequences, or a balanced view, leaving the AI without a clear direction.
3. Vague Style: The prompt does not define the tone or target audience, which may result in formulaic and unengaging content.

Based on these deficiencies, I redesigned a more precise and effective prompt. The revised version narrows the topic (focusing on the education sector), specifies the writing style (in-depth analysis), and adds structural requirements (two versions of the output). Here is the optimized prompt:

Optimized Prompt:

"You are a skilled writer of in-depth analysis articles who has contributed to publications like Harvard Business Review and The Economist. You are well-versed in technology and education. Please write a short article about the impact of artificial intelligence in the education sector, mimicking the analytical style of the aforementioned publications.

Rules:

The content must be based on real-world examples, such as specific AI technologies or successful applications.
Maintain logical rigor and approach the analysis from a professional perspective, focusing on positive impacts while addressing potential challenges.
Draft the article in two versions:
Version 1: Objective and precise analytical writing without rhetorical embellishments.
Version 2: A more engaging and dynamic tone suitable for a blog, while retaining accuracy."

Output Results:

Version 1: Objective Analysis

How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Education
Artificial intelligence has had a significant impact on education, particularly in personalized learning and equitable resource distribution. AI-driven learning platforms enable students to tailor their learning plans based on individual needs. For example, Khan Academy uses AI to identify students’ weak points and provide targeted learning materials, greatly improving teaching efficiency.

Moreover, AI plays a vital role in narrowing the education resource gap. For instance, schools in remote areas of India use AI translation technology to facilitate multilingual teaching, giving more students access to high-quality education. This not only enhances resource efficiency but also alleviates disparities between urban and rural education systems.

However, the widespread application of AI also raises potential concerns, such as privacy protection and data security. These challenges must be addressed as technology continues to evolve.

Version 2: Blog Edition

How AI Is Revolutionizing Education: 3 Real-World Examples
Artificial intelligence is quietly transforming education, making learning more efficient and accessible. Have you heard of Khan Academy? This globally renowned platform uses AI to create customized study plans for students. When you’re stuck on a tricky problem, the AI analyzes your weaknesses and recommends related lessons to help you overcome challenges easily.

In remote areas, AI’s impact is even more profound. Take rural schools in India, for instance—AI translation technology enables children to learn world-class course materials in their native language, bridging the gap between urban and rural education.

Of course, the growing presence of AI in education also raises concerns about data privacy. But there’s no denying that AI is making education more personalized and inclusive. What surprises might AI bring to the future of learning? Let’s wait and see!

Conclusion: Write Better Prompts, Achieve Better Writing

The quality of AI-generated writing is closely tied to how well the prompts are designed. By refining prompts, we can guide AI to better understand our requirements and produce content that meets expectations.
Keep these principles in mind:

1. Define the topic clearly: Narrow the scope to avoid vagueness.
2. Set clear objectives: Specify the perspective or tone required.
3. Include details: Ask for examples or analyses to enhance persuasiveness.

If you’re also interested in AI writing, try optimizing your prompts. Instead of complaining about “AI’s bland output,” start by asking yourself: “Is my prompt good enough?”