Caveat Promptor

ByMatthew

Been away, haven’t seen you a while, how ya been?

Anyway, 70s soft-rock references aside, I want to write something down and publish it – in the hopes of copyrighting it.

The term has to do with Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how important it is to be skeptical and careful when using AI (at least now and for the time being… ).

Caveat Promptor

Like caveat emptor (buyer beware) but for us humans using AI.

AI can be a powerful and useful tool when used carefully, and with awareness of its limitations and foibles.

For example, AI only knows what its been told, if things change, it may not “know.”

AI gets facts wrong . . . I’ve corrected it on multiple occasions.

And AI gets things wrong, and just goes with it – hallucinations is what they call ’em.

AI will have a role in our economy and society, but as with a toddler, let’s be real about where it is in its development.

So, sure, go forth and AI, just remember:

  • don’t use just one AI (check other LLMs and non-AI sources),
  • that the quality of your prompts are so, so important (garbage in, garbage out),
  • you must scrutinize the output of AI, just like you would filter your weird uncle’s take on <insert-thing-he’s-on-about-this-time>.

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