AI, Step by Step
Navigating the fast-moving world of AI can be daunting, and it can be difficult to know where to begin. This page provides guidance on how to get started, including:
- Key considerations before using AI
- How to access ChatGPT, Copilot, and other AI tools
- Practical examples: observe a simple prompt in action and learn how to update and refine it in order to generate better results.
Activities are included along the way so you can try these ideas for yourself. You will also find our interactive Prompt Engineering resource, so you can find even more ideas on how you can leverage the power of AI.
Disclaimer: “Users are advised to use Artificial Intelligence tools responsibly. It is important to emphasise that the AI tools featured on these pages are intended solely for exploration, and exclusively with publicly available data. Additional information can be found on the ‘Responsible Use of AI’ page. If you are unsure about what tools you can use, please contact our IT Helpdesk.
Generative AI is a powerful technology offering incredible opportunities. However, before you start using it, there are important factors to consider due to the nature of the information provided by Artificial Intelligence.
The following video offers some guidance on how to think about your interactions with AI.
Accessing the right tools is the first step towards unlocking the benefits of AI. This section offers an overview of how to access and start using ChatGPT and Copilot, along with a guided tour of their features. Additionally, it includes links to various other AI tools for further exploration. Keep in mind that AI tools are continually evolving, so the features shown in the video may differ from what you see when you access these tools.
Getting started with ChatGPT
Watch the video to learn how to access and start using ChatGPT.
Getting started with Copilot
For Queen's university staff, log in to Copilot using your @qub.ac.uk email address. This provides an extra layer of security as the information you enter will not be used to train the publicly available AI model.
Other AI Tools
It's worth trying out various AI tools to understand their similarities and differences and determine which ones are best suited for specific tasks. Here are a few more options for you to explore.
Activity 1:
Choose an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Copilot and ask a simple question to see how it responds.
Now that we have an idea of how to access AI tools, it's time to have a look at some examples. In this section, we will start by asking a simple question or 'prompt' to both ChatGPT and Copilot, and observe how the AI responds. Watch the video below and complete the suggested activity below.
Simple Prompt in ChatGPT and Copilot
Activity 2:
The video above provides an example of how to ask AI to help plan a presentation and uses a simple prompt as a practical example. Think of a task relevant to your role – write a simple prompt based on that task and try the prompt in an AI tool of your choice.
In the next section, we will explore how we can improve our prompt to generate better results.
When crafting prompts, there are several factors to consider in order to achieve better results. The first video in this section provides an overview of some ideas that you can include in your prompts to generate improved outcomes. It then looks at how we can apply these ideas to update our example prompt from the previous section.
The second video will try out our newly updated prompt in ChatGPT and Copilot, to compare the results. Watch the videos and complete the activity below to see how you can apply these principles within your own prompts.
Improving your prompts
Updated Prompt: Worked Example
Activity 3:
Revisit the prompt you created in Activity 2. Apply the concepts in this section to create a new, updated prompt.
Try your new prompt in an AI tool of your choice. Compare and contrast the results from the previous activity.
Prompt Engineering involves creating text that a Generative AI model can understand. In this context, a prompt refers to 'natural language text' that describes the task the AI system needs to perform (this definition was provided by Microsoft Copilot).
As we have already seen from the examples above, developing an understanding of how to create effective prompts can help you get better results from Generative AI.
Video tour of the Prompt Engineering Guide
Activity 4:
Explore the interactive prompt engineering guide below. Copy and paste one of the example prompts from the guide and edit the prompt with your own example. Try this prompt with an AI tool of your choice. Think about the kind of information you can include in your prompt to generate the best results.
Interactive Guide to Prompt Engineering