I am GPTed - what you need to know about Chat GPT, Bard, Llama, and Artificial Intelligence

[Intro music fades in – slightly chaotic, but in a charming “I made this in my basement” way.]

Hey, it’s Mal, your Misfit Master of AI, and this is “I Am GPTed” – the show where we turn buzzwords into actual useful stuff and make the robots work for *you* instead of the other way around.

Let’s get right into it before another AI startup launches a “world-changing” note-taking app.

---

So, today’s magic trick: **Output Redirect.**

This is where you don’t just accept the AI’s first answer like a polite Victorian child. You *correct it* and tell it what you really wanted.

Before:
“Write a short LinkedIn bio for me.”

You get:
“I am a highly motivated professional passionate about innovation and collaboration…”
Boring. It sounds like every corporate hostage note on the platform.

After – with Output Redirect:
“Here’s what I asked: ‘Write a short LinkedIn bio for me.’
Here’s what you gave me: [paste that bland word salad].
Here’s what I actually want: punchy, friendly, 3 sentences, mention that I’m a teacher switching into UX design, and keep it human, not corporate. Rewrite it.”

Suddenly, boom: “Teacher-turned-UX-designer who’s obsessed with making apps less annoying…”
Now it sounds like a person, not a brochure.

You can do this with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, whatever you’re experimenting with at 2 a.m. The trick is:
- Show it your original prompt
- Show it the bad result
- Describe what you *really* wanted
and tell it to fix itself.

---

Next: a **practical use case** you’ve probably ignored – **email clean-up and “oops I ghosted you” replies.**

Instead of staring at your inbox like it’s a crime scene, try this:

“Act as my polite-but-not-fake assistant.
Here’s the email I ignored for 2 weeks: [paste].
Write a short, honest reply that acknowledges the delay, doesn’t overshare, and sets up a clear next step. Keep it under 120 words and in my casual tone.”

In 10 seconds, you’ve got a reply you can tweak, send, and move on with your life. No guilt novel, no spiral.

---

Now, **common beginner mistake** – and yes, I have fully done this:

**Prompting like it’s Google.**

I used to type things like:
“Best tips for productivity.”

Then I’d stare at the generic list it gave me and think, “Wow, AI is overrated.”
No. *My prompt* was overrated.

Fix it by adding context and constraints:

“I’m a marketing manager working from home with ADHD and too many meetings.
Give me 5 realistic productivity tips I can try this week, each under 2 sentences, focused on reducing distractions.”

When I finally started doing that, the answers went from “drink water and make a list” to “block 2x 25-minute focus sprints between your existing meetings and batch similar tasks.”

So if you’ve been vague? Congratulations, you’re human. Stop it. Add who you are, what you’re doing, and what format you want.

---

Let’s do a **simple exercise** to build your AI interaction skills.

Open your favorite AI and run this little drill:

1. Prompt 1:
“Act as my brainstorming buddy. I’m feeling stuck in my career. Ask me 5 specific questions to help me figure out my next move.”

2. Answer those questions honestly.

3. Prompt 2:
“Based on my answers, give me 3 possible directions I could explore, with one tiny action step for each that I can do this week.”

4. Prompt 3 – Output Redirect:
“Now rewrite those 3 options to be more encouraging, less cheesy, and more concrete. Cut any clichés.”

That’s it. You just practiced:
- Giving context
- Asking for a format
- Redirecting the output
All in under 10 minutes, no PhD required.

---

Finally, a **tip for evaluating and improving AI content**:

Use what I call the **“Read-It-Out-Loud Test.”**

Read the AI’s answer out loud like you’re hosting a radio show.
If you cringe, zone out, or need a nap halfway through, it needs work.

Then ask the AI:
“Now shorten this by 30%, remove repetition, and make it sound like a clear, confident human. Keep the key points, lose the fluff.”

You are the editor; the AI is the overeager intern. It drafts fast. You decide what survives.

---

Alright, that’s it for today’s episode of “I Am GPTed” with me, Mal, your Misfit Master of AI.

If this helped you boss your bots around a little better, **subscribe to the podcast** so you don’t miss future episodes where we keep making AI less mystical and more useful.

**Thanks for listening.**

This has been a **Quiet Please** production.
To learn more, head over to **quietplease dot ai** and see what else we’re breaking down for you.

[Outro music fades out, slightly quirky, just like you.]

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0P

[Opening music fades in, then under]

You’re listening to “I Am GPTed,” the show where we turn terrifying robot overlords into slightly overqualified interns.

I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI. Or just Mal, if you hate syllables as much as I hate buzzwords.

Today, I’m going to give you one simple prompting trick, a sneaky real‑life use case, one embarrassing beginner mistake I made, a quick practice exercise, and a fast way to tell if the AI just lied to your face. All in about 500 words, because we all have tabs to get back to.

Alright, let’s plug in.

---

First up: **one specific prompting technique** that works across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, all of them:
**Role + Goal + Constraints.**

Most people type:
“Help me write an email.”

And then wonder why they get something that sounds like a toaster wrote it.

Try this instead:

**Before:**
“Write an email to my boss about a deadline.”

**After:**
“You are a clear, friendly professional writer.
Goal: Write a short email to my boss asking for a 2‑day deadline extension.
Constraints:
- 120 words or less
- No corporate buzzwords
- Sound honest, not desperate.”

Same tools, completely different output. Role, goal, constraints. That’s the holy trinity. No incense required.

---

Next: **a practical use case you probably haven’t tried**.

Use AI as your **meeting memory upgrade**.

After a meeting, drop in your messy notes or bullet points and say:

“Act as my operations assistant. Turn these notes into:
- a clean summary
- 3 clear action items with owners
- 2 risks I should watch out for.”

Now your random brain dump becomes a follow‑up email, a task list, and a “hey, maybe don’t forget this and get fired” warning, all at once. Works for work meetings, PTA meetings, even family planning chaos.

---

Now, **one common beginner mistake** I absolutely made:

Treating AI like Google with manners.

I used to type: “Best ways to be productive?”
Hit enter.
Blindly trust the answer.
Then wonder why nothing changed in my life except my screen time.

The fix?
Turn it into a **conversation, not a vending machine**.

Instead of:
“Give me a workout plan.”

Try:
“Here’s what I’ve tried, what I like, and what I hate. Ask me 5 questions first, then build a 4‑week plan based on my answers.”

Good prompts tell the AI what to do.
Great prompts invite the AI to ask you better questions first.

---

Let’s do a **simple exercise** to build your AI skills. You can do this with any model:

1. Pick one small task: “Plan a 20‑minute dinner,” or “Summarize this article for a 10‑year‑old.”
2. Write your first prompt in one sentence.
3. Get the answer.
4. Now refine: add role, goal, and 2–3 constraints.
5. Compare version 1 and version 2.

Do this once a day for a week. You’ll develop a feel for how much detail gets you consistently better output, without turning every prompt into a novel.

---

Finally, **how to evaluate and improve AI‑generated content**:

Use the **3 C’s Check**:

- **Clear** – Can a smart 12‑year‑old understand this? If not, ask: “Rewrite this in plain language with shorter sentences.”
- **Correct** – Ask it: “List 3 things in this answer that might be wrong or need a source.” Then go sanity‑check those parts yourself.
- **Custom** – Does it sound like *you*? If it sounds like a LinkedIn post in a suit, say: “Rewrite this in my voice: casual, a bit dry, and less dramatic.”

Never accept the first draft as “done.” Treat it as “version zero.”

---

If this helped you feel a little more GPTed and a little less defeated, hit **subscribe** to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Thanks for listening and letting me live rent‑free in your headphones.

This has been a Quiet Please production. You can learn more at **quietplease.ai**.

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0P

[Intro]

You’re listening to “I am GPTed,” the show where we tame your favorite AI tools and only occasionally roast them… and ourselves.

I’m Mal, the Misfit Master of AI. Misfit, because I still sometimes type full prompts into the search bar instead of the chat box. We all have our hobbies.

Today, I’m going to give you one simple prompting technique, one practical everyday use case, one very common beginner mistake I personally face-planted into, a quick practice exercise, and a fast way to judge whether the AI just helped you… or confidently made stuff up.

Let’s get into it.

---

[1. One specific prompting technique – “Role + Goal + Context”]

The technique is this: **Role + Goal + Context**.

Most people type:
“Explain AI to me.”

Then they get a Wikipedia overdose and their brain logs out.

Instead, try this:

- **Role** – Who should the AI pretend to be?
- **Goal** – What exact outcome do you want?
- **Context** – What do you already know, and who’s it for?

Before example – the usual chaos:

“Explain how to use ChatGPT.”

After example with Role + Goal + Context:

“You are a patient tech coach helping a busy professional who is new to AI.
Goal: Create a simple 3-step daily routine to get value from ChatGPT in under 10 minutes a day.
Context: They write emails, plan meetings, and manage a small team. Keep it practical, no jargon.”

Same AI, different universe of answers.

---

[2. Practical use case most people miss – “AI as your meeting filter”]

Here’s a use case beginners rarely think about: **using AI as a meeting filter**.

Before you accept a meeting, paste the invite or email into your AI of choice and ask:

“Summarize this in 3 bullet points. Then:
1) Suggest 3 questions I should ask in this meeting.
2) Suggest 2 ways to avoid this meeting and handle it with email instead.”

Magically, you’ll discover half your meetings could have been a paragraph and a decision. AI doesn’t just write for you; it can help you protect your calendar, which is where your sanity lives.

---

[3. Common beginner mistake – and yes, I did this too]

The big beginner mistake: **changing the prompt every single time instead of iterating in the same chat**.

I used to fire off new chats like popcorn:

“Write an email…”
New chat.
“Write a better email…”
New chat.
“Make it shorter…”
New. Chat.

That’s like switching therapists every sentence.

Instead, stay in the same conversation and build on it:

“Good start. Now:
- Make it 30% shorter.
- Keep the friendly tone.
- Add a clear call to action at the end.”

AI is a pattern-hungry goldfish with a good memory for the current bowl. Let it use that.

---

[4. Simple exercise to build your AI interaction skills]

Here’s a quick exercise you can do today in 10 minutes:

1. Pick one task you already do: writing an email, summarizing an article, outlining a presentation.
2. Write your **first** prompt how you normally would.
3. Get the answer.
4. Now send **three follow-ups** in the same chat:
- “Make this shorter and more direct.”
- “Now rewrite it for a non-technical audience.”
- “Now list 3 ways this could be improved further.”

That’s it. You’ve just practiced the real skill: **prompt, then iterate**. The magic is almost never in the first reply; it’s in the second, third, and fourth.

---

[5. Tip for evaluating and improving AI-generated content]

When AI gives you something, run it through this quick 4-question filter:

1. **Clear?** Could a smart 12‑year‑old understand this? If not, ask:
“Rewrite this in plain language with short sentences.”
2. **Correct?** For facts, dates, numbers, or names, spot-check a few with a quick search or your own knowledge.
3. **Complete?** Ask:
“What important details or edge cases might be missing here?”
4. **Customized?** Ask it to tailor the output:
“Now adapt this for my situation: [add your details]. Keep it to 200 words.”

Never trust first draft AI. Treat it like an overeager intern: useful, fast, occasionally delusional. Your job is editor-in-chief.

---

[Outro / CTA]

If this helped you feel a little more GPTed and a little less overwhelmed, hit subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes.

Thanks for listening, and for letting me be the AI nerd in your ears today.

This has been a Quiet Please production. To learn more, visit quietplease.ai.

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0P

[Intro music fades in, then out]

Hey, it’s Mal, your Misfit Master of AI, and this is “I am GPTed” – the show where we take tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and the rest of the robot alphabet soup… and make them actually useful, instead of just impressive at dinner parties.

Today, I’m giving you one simple prompting trick, a sneaky everyday use case, one embarrassing mistake I kept making, a quick practice exercise, and a dead-simple way to check if the AI just made nonsense sound smart.

Let’s start with the **prompting technique** that instantly upgrades your results: **role + constraints**.

Instead of saying:
“Summarize this report.”

Try:
“You are a calm, plain‑English business coach. Summarize this report in 5 bullet points for a busy manager who hates jargon and has 2 minutes.”

Before, you get a wall of text written like a tax form.
After, you get something your brain can read without crying.

This works across tools:
- “Act as a friendly HR manager…”
- “Be a meticulous proofreader…”
- “You’re a sarcastic but accurate data analyst…”

Then add constraints: who it’s for, tone, and limits like word count or bullets. Role plus constraints is you directing the movie, not just shaking the camera and hoping for art.

Now, a **practical use case** you probably haven’t tried: **turn the AI into your personal meeting brain**.

Prompt it with something like:
“You are an expert note‑taker. Turn this messy meeting transcript into: 5 key decisions, 5 action items with owners, and 3 risks I should flag to my boss. Keep it under 300 words and use plain language.”

Paste in your notes or transcript from Zoom, Teams, whatever. Suddenly that awful hour becomes a clean summary you can drop into email or Slack. Works at work, for school, even for PTA meetings, if you enjoy suffering.

Let’s talk **common beginner mistake** – including mine: being agonizingly vague.

I used to type things like:
“Make this better.”
“Explain AI.”
“Write an email.”

Shockingly, I got bland mush back and thought, “Wow, this AI is useless.”
No, Mal. *You* were useless.

To avoid that, always add:
- Who it’s for
- What you want it to sound like
- How long it should be
- What you’ll use it for

So instead of “Write an email,” try:
“Write a polite but firm email to my manager, pushing back on unrealistic deadlines, in under 150 words, clear and professional, no corporate buzzwords.”

Same AI, completely different output.

Here’s a **simple exercise** to build your AI muscles today:

1. Pick one task you actually need: an email, a message, a plan, whatever.
2. Write a terrible, vague prompt for it.
3. Then write a second version using role + constraints.
4. Ask the AI both, compare the answers.

That contrast teaches you more in 10 minutes than 10 YouTube videos.

Finally, a **tip for evaluating and improving AI content**: treat everything as a **first draft**, not the Ten Commandments.

Do three quick checks:
- Read it out loud: if you cringe, it needs fixing.
- Ask the AI: “What’s missing or unclear in this response?”
- Then say: “Now rewrite it shorter, more conversational, and remove any fluff or repetition.”

If it’s factual stuff, ask directly: “List any parts of this that might be inaccurate or need verification.” Then you go verify. The AI is a very confident intern, not an oracle.

Alright, that’s it for today’s dose of practical AI sanity.

If this helped you boss your bots around a little better, **subscribe to the podcast** so you don’t miss future episodes.

**Thanks for listening** and letting me do the overthinking so you don’t have to.

This has been a **Quiet Please production**.
You can learn more at **quietplease.ai**.

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0P

[Intro music fades in – something that sounds like a robot trying to be cool and almost pulling it off.]

Hey, it’s Mal, the Misfit Master of AI, and this is “I Am GPTed” – the show where we turn ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and whatever else Silicon Valley spits out… into something actually useful for your real life.

Let’s get you **one** practical AI skill today, not a PhD in buzzwords.

---

First up: one prompting technique that instantly upgrades your results.

I call it: **“Act As + Constraints.”**
That’s it. No TED Talk, no framework with a trademark symbol.

You do two things:
1. Tell the AI who to act as.
2. Tell it how you want the answer shaped.

Here’s the “before” version most people use:

> “Help me write a budget.”

Congrats, you just asked for a textbook.

Now the “after” version:

> “Act as a friendly financial coach for a total beginner.
> Help me create a simple monthly budget in 5 bullet points, using plain language, for someone who always forgets to track spending.”

Same task, completely different output. Suddenly it sounds like help, not homework. Use this with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok – they all behave better when you give them a role and limits.

---

Now, a **practical use case** you probably haven’t tried:
Using AI as your **calendar and priorities translator**.

Not scheduling. Translating chaos.

Example:

> “Act as my personal prioritization coach. Here are my tasks for this week: [paste your mess].
> Group them into ‘Must Do’, ‘Should Do’, and ‘Could Do’, with one sentence why each is in that category. Keep it under 300 words.”

Suddenly your nightmare to‑do list becomes a simple plan. Great for work, life, or that side project you’ve been “totally starting soon.”

---

Let’s talk **beginner mistake** – my favorite topic, because I’ve made all of them.

The big one: **one-and-done prompts.**
You type something, get a mediocre answer, and think, “AI is overrated.”

I used to do this constantly. I’d ask:

> “Explain AI to me.”

It would spit out a bland Wikipedia clone, and I’d just… close the tab and judge it silently.

What I *should* have done is treat it like a conversation:

> “Explain AI to me as if I’m smart but not technical. Use a real‑world analogy, keep it under 200 words.”

Then:

> “Great. Now give me a version I can explain to a 10‑year‑old in 3 sentences.”

The mistake is thinking the first answer is the final answer. Don’t do that. I did. It was dumb. We’ve learned. We move on.

---

Here’s a **simple exercise** to build your AI interaction skills.

Sometime today, pick one small thing you need help with. Not your life purpose. Something tiny:

- An email
- A message
- A short plan
- A description
- A quick explanation

Then run this three‑step mini‑workout with *any* AI:

1. First prompt:
“Act as a helpful assistant. Do X for me: [describe task]. Keep it under 150 words.”

2. Second prompt, after it answers:
“Now improve this by making it clearer and more concise. Keep the main ideas, lose the fluff.”

3. Third prompt:
“Now rewrite this for [your audience: my boss / my friend / a client / a teenager], and keep the tone [formal / casual / friendly].”

That’s it. Three rounds. You’ll see how much better it gets when *you* steer.

---

Finally, a **tip for evaluating and improving AI-generated content** so you don’t accidentally sound like a malfunctioning robot.

Use what I call the **“Would I say this out loud?” test.**

1. Read the AI’s answer out loud.
2. If you cringe, it needs work.
3. Tell the AI exactly what’s wrong:

- “This sounds too formal. Make it more conversational.”
- “Shorten this by 50% and keep only the most important points.”
- “Remove buzzwords and explain it like you would to a friend over coffee.”

Treat every AI response as a **first draft**, not sacred scripture. You’re the editor. The model is the overeager intern.

---

Alright, that’s it for today’s episode of “I Am GPTed” with Mal, your misfit guide to making AI actually do something useful.

If this helped you even a little, **subscribe to the podcast** so you don’t miss future episodes.

**Thanks for listening**, seriously – you could’ve spent this time scrolling, and you chose to upgrade your brain instead.

This has been a **Quiet Please** production.
To learn more, head over to **quietplease dot ai**.

[Outro music fades out, pretending it’s cooler than it is.]

For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/

and for some great deals go to https://amzn.to/4nidg0P