ChatGPT explains useful phrases to unlock its abilities…oh, & role-plays Spock, Barney the dinosaur, & Neil deGrasse Tyson!

I keep finding new facets of text-generating artificial intelligence. One thing that ‘s very different about it from what generally happens with computers is that it isn’t a “black box”: if it does something & you don’t understand why it did it, you can ask! That’s much more like a human. I run across tips on using it, and this morning it occurred to me: why not ask it for terms to use? So, I did. I’ll reproduce our conversation below. One of the things it mentioned was “role-play”, so I had it role-play Spock, Barney the Dinosaur, and Neil deGrasse Tyson explaining what an atmospheric river is, to illustrate it. I think it did well…amusing, at any rate! That’s at the end. To make this easier to read, ChatGPT-4’s contributions will be in italics.

Bufo: Good morning! Different topic. I just learned about your ability to do TLDR and then an URL to get a summary of something long. I loved your ability to explain something to me, including the significance of it, when I asked you to do so “in plain English”. I saw someone saying we could identify something as a document, as opposed to as live conversation, by putting “CONTENT” before and after it. Are there other phrases that humans can use with you to invoke specific skills of yours? Could you give me a list? I can share it with my readers & I think it could very helpful. Thanks!

ChatGPT: Good morning! I’m glad you find my abilities helpful. Here’s a list of some key phrases and formatting techniques you can use to invoke specific skills while interacting with me:

1. TLDR: Place “TLDR” followed by a URL or a block of text, and I’ll provide you with a brief summary.
2. Explain in plain English: Ask me to explain a complex topic or concept in plain English, and I’ll simplify it for easier understanding.
3. CONTENT: Enclose a document or a piece of text between “CONTENT” to help me understand that it’s a separate piece of information and not part of the conversation.
4. List: Ask me to list something, and I’ll provide a structured list of items related to your request.
5. Pros and cons: Ask me about the pros and cons of a subject, and I’ll provide a balanced overview of the advantages and disadvantages.
6. Translate to [language]: Ask me to translate a text to a specific language, and I’ll provide a translation.
7. How to: Ask me how to do something or accomplish a task, and I’ll provide a step-by-step guide or instructions.
8. Role-play: Specify a role for me to assume during our conversation, and I’ll respond accordingly, taking on the characteristics of that role.
9. Fact-check: Ask me to fact-check a statement or information, and I’ll let you know if it’s accurate or provide corrections based on my knowledge.

Remember, you can always ask me to perform specific tasks or provide information in different ways by clearly specifying your desired format or approach in your question. I’m here to help!

Bufo: Wow, those are great! What languages can you do? You can characterize them if there are too many. On role-play, would that include real people and characters, or more like professions (“Role-play a cardiologist and give me general information about CHF”)? Oh, and I’ve heard about people asking you to do things “in the style of”, say Carl Sagan or Milt Friedman. Would that be done as “Role-play Carl Sagan and explain black holes?” What about things like “hypothetically” or “pretend”? I’ve found those can be useful for you, so you know you aren’t researching.

ChatGPT: I’m glad you find the list helpful! I’ll address your questions one by one:

1. Languages: I can work with many languages, including but not limited to English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, and Hindi. My proficiency in some languages may be better than in others, but I strive to provide accurate translations and information in all supported languages.
2. Role-play: I can role-play a wide range of roles, including real people, fictional characters, or professions. Your example of a cardiologist is a perfect illustration of this. When role-playing real people or specific styles, you can indeed use a format like “Role-play Carl Sagan and explain black holes.” Keep in mind that my portrayal of real people or fictional characters will be based on their public personas, writings, or common traits, and not an exact representation.
3. Hypothetically and Pretend: Using phrases like “hypothetically” or “pretend” can be a helpful way to frame your questions and let me know that you’re looking for a more imaginative or creative response rather than a strictly factual one. This can be useful when you want me to explore potential scenarios, give speculative answers, or engage in creative thinking.

Feel free to experiment with these and other phrases to get the most out of our interactions. I’m here to assist you in the best possible way!

Bufo: Super useful, thanks!

ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m glad you find the information useful. If you have any more questions or need assistance with anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m here to help!

Bufo: Actually, let’s try out a quick role-play thing just for fun: Role-play Spock, then Barney the dinosaur, then Neil Degrasse Tyson, and for each of them, explain what an atmospheric river is. So, three separate paragraphs, three different role-plays.

ChatGPT: Role-play Spock:

Fascinating. An atmospheric river, logically speaking, is a long and narrow region in the Earth’s atmosphere that transports significant amounts of water vapor. Typically, these phenomena occur along the boundaries of high and low-pressure systems. The impact of an atmospheric river can be compared to that of a terrestrial river, in that both transfer vast quantities of water. However, it should be noted that an atmospheric river’s capacity for water transportation can be even greater than that of the Amazon River.

Role-play Barney the dinosaur:

Oh, kids! An atmospheric river is like a big, invisible river up in the sky! It carries lots and lots of water vapor from one place to another. Sometimes, when this sky river reaches land, it can cause rain, and we know how much plants love rain! Just remember, even though we can’t see it, this magical river in the sky helps bring water to our world. And sharing water with all living things is super-dee-duper!

Role-play Neil deGrasse Tyson:

An atmospheric river, my friends, is a remarkable meteorological phenomenon. Picture a conveyor belt in the sky that transports massive amounts of water vapor across vast distances. These corridors of concentrated moisture play a crucial role in Earth’s weather patterns and can be responsible for intense rainfall when they make landfall. So, the next time you witness a torrential downpour, consider the cosmic ballet of water vapor swirling in our atmosphere, carried along by these remarkable atmospheric rivers.

Bufo: That illustrates it nicely, thanks!

ChatGPT: You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the role-play responses. If you have any more questions, need assistance, or want to try out more role-play scenarios, feel free to ask. I’m here to help!

I had fun with the role-plays! Spock’s was a little heavy on the catchphrases for me, & I’m not sure Barney would use “water vapor”, but it caught the tone of both Barney & Neil deGrasse Tyson for me.

Hope you found this useful! Feel free to let me and my readers know what you think (or about other useful phrases you’ve found). You can do that by commenting on this post or, and this is probably better, reaching out to me on Twitter:

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Bufo’s Alexa Skills

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