Prompting

April 23, 2025

You don’t need to learn prompt engineering

You don’t need to learn prompt engineering

Do you feel frustrated when AI doesn’t deliver what you expected? You might think you need to learn complicated prompting techniques — Google just published 68-page guide on prompt engineering.

Here’s the good news: you don’t.

The real problem isn't "prompt engineering." It's simply about understanding and expressing what you want clearly.

1. Know what you actually need

Think about asking a programmer to create software without explaining what it's for. Even the most talented programmer can't deliver without understanding the goal.

Your AI needs the same clarity. So how do you figure out what you need?

  • Define your goal: What exactly do you want? A data analysis? A creative idea? A technical explanation? A step-by-step plan?
  • Think backwards: Start with your end goal — this naturally reveals what information you'll need to get there.
  • Use normal language: Just speak naturally. AI understands and won't judge.

A white-background meme showing a blue bell curve of IQ distribution. At the top center (IQ ~100, 34% each side) is a crying “nerd” face labeled “Do overly complicated ‘prompt engineering.’” On the left tail (IQ ~55, 0.1%) is a simple, smiling face labeled “Type in simple natural language.” On the right tail (IQ ~145, 0.1%) is a calm, hooded figure also labeled “Type in simple natural language.” The implied headline over the chart is “Don’t learn prompt engineering.”

2. Clearly define your desired outcome

When your request is vague, you'll get less useful results.

Once you understand your needs, communicate them clearly by specifying:

  • Purpose and context: Where will you use this output? (business presentation, academic paper, personal project)
  • Output format: What form should the results take? (summary, bullet points, analysis, list, table, code)
  • Constraints and requirements: Any specific limitations? (length, complexity, accuracy, references)

3. Adjust your prompt

Sometimes even clear requests might benefit from a little fine-tuning. If the initial response isn't quite what you had in mind, you can guide the AI toward better results:

  • Share examples: If you have a specific format or style in mind, showing an example helps the AI understand exactly what you're looking for.
  • Adjust the level of detail: If the response seems too brief or too detailed, you can simply ask for "more information about this part" or "a simpler explanation of that concept."
  • Suggest a tone: The AI can adapt to different communication styles — whether you need something professional, conversational, or creative.

4. Leverage features from modern platforms

Modern AI platforms come with helpful features that make communicating your needs simple:

  • Conversation memory: The AI keeps track of your previous exchanges, allowing you to reference earlier points without repetition. To learn more, read our article about AI context.
  • Knowledge base: Connect your documents or data sources, and the AI will find and use relevant information automatically.

You don't need special training. Clear thinking and clear communication are your best tools.

With loqus.ai, you don’t need prompt engineering:🧠  Create assistants tailored to your task✍️  Speak or write naturally — loqus.ai understands both👑 Use all the best AI models on the market💎 One subscription — no need to pay to multiple model providersJust say what you want. loqus.ai handles the rest.