How to demonstrate AI effectively

AI is inherently unpredictable. It doesn’t always give the answers you expect. Sometimes it gives answers that are incomplete or even wrong. So, how do you demonstrate an unpredictable product to the customer effectively?

  • Be honest about the reality of the product
  • Celebrate success—talk about the answer Copilot gave and how it got there
  • Ask for a better answer. Sometimes asking again in a different way, or with more detail, gives a better answer
  • Use prompt tips to help you get the most out of Copilot.

Be honest: Copilot doesn’t always give you the answer you expect. Tell your customers up-front that this might happen. When it does happen, don’t hide it. Instead, show the customer how you respond. Show them techniques that they can use to get the most out of AI.

Celebrate success: When AI answers a question, it’s a new answer every time. Look at the response and find things to celebrate. Did Copilot take a novel approach to the answer? Did it add a detail you didn’t know? Did it make creative connections?

Even a wrong answer can have value. A wrong answer may help us uncover our assumptions about the question. It may point the way to a better prompt. When this happens, we say Copilot is “usefully wrong.”

  • If a prompt isn’t giving you great answers, submit feedback.
  • If you have a prompt that works well with your audience, we encourage you to share it with your team!

Ask for a better answer: Don’t let a poor answer slow you down. When the answer isn’t great, ask again in a different way. Ask Copilot to do better. Sometimes, we actually get better answers when we ask again or encourage it. It’s OK to ask again and tell Copilot to “try harder” or “try again.”

Use prompt tips: Getting the most out of AI with prompts isn’t an exact science. Here are some tips to help:

  • Tell Copilot what you need. There are many different ways to ask, and some work better for different topics. Be specific. If you want Copilot to summarize content, tell it you want a summary. If you want Copilot to create something new or suggest some edits, be clear that’s what you need.
  • Include the right prompt ingredients. Here are some of the things you can include to get great results:
    • What kind of response do you want Copilot to give you?
    • Why do you need it and how is involved?
    • What information or samples should Copilot use?
    • How can Copilot meet your expectations for an answer?

For more tips on building great prompts see the following documents: