Now that we understand what AI is and how to write effective prompts, let’s dive deeper into real-world use cases. There are virtually endless AI use cases. It’s hard to find an area of life or work where AI doesn’t have something to offer. I’ve broken down the use cases into 7 main categories: content generation, planning & strategy, brainstorming, problem solving, document analysis, learning, and image generation. Let’s unpack each category with specific examples and prompts. For each use case, we’ll incorporate the prompt engineering principles discussed in the previous section to write effective prompts.
Although there are many use cases and prompts listed below, we are barely scratching the surface of what’s possible. As you read through this section, try to think of your own use cases and prompts and test them in an AI tool of your choosing.
1. Content Generation
AI’s ability to create endless forms of content was one of its first standout features. AI can effortlessly write high quality emails, poems, multi-page essays, Youtube scripts, song lyrics, you name it, all in a matter of seconds. The user simply specifies the type of content (e.g. essay), topic (e.g. Bitcoin investing), length (e.g 1,000 words), tone (e.g. academic), style (e.g. William Shakespeare), and any other constraints (e.g. never start a sentence with the word “it”) and AI does the rest. There may be no practical purpose for a 1,000-word academic essay on bitcoin investing in the style of Shakespeare, but AI will effortlessly knock it out of the park. Keep in mind that you won’t always like AI’s initial output. When this happens, describe exactly what you don’t like about the content it created and use iterative prompting until you’re satisfied with the result.
Suppose you are an expert in professional writing. Write a 5-sentence email to my boss asking for approval to attend a sustainability conference in Miami, FL. Total cost will be $1,000. Emphasize that the event aligns with our company’s sustainability goals and that I plan to share key insights with the broader team upon return. Use a formal tone.
YouTube Script
Suppose you are a world class YouTube video producer. I am making a 15-minute YouTube video on the pros and cons of nuclear energy. Come up with 3 different creative intro hooks that will attract viewers’ attention. Then generate an outline I can follow for the remainder of the video, including suggested times for each section.
Sales Copy
Suppose you are an experienced salesman. Write a compelling 150-word product description for a new eco-friendly laundry detergent. Highlight its cleaning power, biodegradable ingredients, and hypoallergenic formula. The tone should be persuasive yet informative, and the copy should appeal to environmentally conscious consumers looking for a safe alternative for their families.
2. Planning & Strategy
Like many others, I’ve never been much of a planner. The process of creating a plan has always felt painful because I tend to overthink the details and get stuck along the way. That completely changed when I started using AI. I simply feed AI the relevant context (my goals, preferences, constraints, etc.) and it generates a structured, thoughtful plan in seconds. It’s like having a planning assistant that clears the mental clutter and helps me take action faster. AI’s plans won’t always be perfect and often require some tweaking, but it provides an excellent starting point to process. The prompts below are just a few examples of using AI to develop a plan.
Itinerary Planning
Suppose you are an experienced vacation planner. I am spending 4 days in Munich with my wife in May. We are both 30 years old and enjoy outdoor activities, local food/beer, and unique experiences. We’d like to avoid tourist traps and lean into local culture. Please create a 4 day itinerary for us to follow, including primary recommendations and back-up options.
Training Plan
Suppose you are a world class marathon coach. I am running the Chicago half-marathon in 4 months. I’d like to finish the race in under 2 hours using a negative split strategy. This is my first half marathon, and can currently run 5 miles at a 9:30 pace. Create a detailed 4-month training plan for me to follow. Include tips for race day hydration and fueling. Lastly, recommend target mile by mile splits in a table format to help me achieve my sub-2 hr goal.
Negotiation Strategy
Suppose you are a negotiation expert. I received a job offer for $120k and 3 weeks of vacation. I would like to negotiate either a salary bump to $130k or a vacation increase to 4 weeks. I have another job offer for $125k and 4 weeks of vacation, but I would rather have the first one. Please create a negotiation strategy for me to follow, assuming it will be done over the phone.
3. Brainstorming
Brainstorming is one of my favorite AI use cases because of how much time and effort it saves. We all know that brainstorming can be a draining exercise. It takes a lot of mental energy to generate ideas, and even after all that effort, you might not end up with anything great. That’s where AI makes a huge difference. You can feed it some context or initial thoughts, and it quickly produces a wide range of ideas. It uncovers ideas I never would have considered on my own. Keep in mind that you won’t always like AI’s initial ideas. When this happens, simply explain what you don’t like about the ideas and use iterative prompting until you land on an idea that meets your needs.
Gift Ideas
Suppose you are a thoughtful gift-giver. I would like to get my husband something special for his 40th birthday. He enjoys traveling, whiskey, live music, and spending time outdoors. He appreciates experiences over material things. I want this gift to reflect how much he means to me and how well I know him. I have a budget of up to $1,500. We live in Seattle, WA. Please suggest a mix of creative experiences, unique gift ideas, or possible weekend getaways that match his personality and interests.
Team Building Activities
Suppose you are an experienced event planner. I have been put in charge of planning a team-building event at work. My team contains 15 people, is culturally diverse, and contains an even split of men and women from 30-50 years of age. We are located in Nashville, TN and have a budget of $4k. Please brainstorm at least 5 activities to choose from.
Professional Networking
Suppose you are a networking expert. I’m trying to grow my network within the investment banking sector to find potential collaborators, mentors, and future job opportunities. I live in Chicago but am open to virtual connections. Please brainstorm 5 strategies I can use to expand my network in an authentic and mutually valuable way over the next 3 months.
4. Problem Solving
Problem solving is something everyone struggles with, no matter how intelligent you are. Problem solving is difficult because it often requires technical knowledge about the problem at hand – something we don’t always have. Thankfully, AI has an in-depth understanding of almost every concept imaginable, so it can tackle most problems you throw at it. Simply state the problem in detail and ask AI to solve it. Feel free to upload pictures to AI if they provide more info. You can even ask AI to show its work so you can follow its thought process. However, keep in mind that AI sometimes struggles with problems that require math math. As mentioned in the previous section, be sure to tell AI to “think step by step” for these types of problems for a higher success rate. In addition, always check AI’s work rather than trusting its solution blindly. Expect mistakes from time to time and make note of problems it struggles with. Below are some problems I’ve solved with AI’s help in the past.
Home Troubleshooting
Suppose you are an experienced AC maintenance professional. My home’s AC has stopped cooling the air inside my home. My thermostat says my AC is on, the indoor blower is still circulating air inside my home, but the fan on the outdoor condenser unit will not turn on. Please suggest possible issues including ways to test them in a bulleted list. Be sure to keep safety in mind. Below are some problems I use AI to frequently with a lot of success.
Microsoft Excel Help
Suppose you are a Microsoft Excel wizard. I’d like to write a formula that determines the periodic payment needed for an investment to grow from an initial value to an ending value. The initial investment is in cell A2, the rate of return is in cell B2, the number of periods is in cell C2, and the ending value is in cell D2. Please write this formula for me.
Vehicle Comparison
Suppose you are an expert in automotive finances. I would like to purchase a 2024 Toyota Camry but unsure if I want to buy the gas version or the hybrid version. Please perform a life cycle cost comparison of each vehicle, assuming I own the vehicle for 10 years. I ultimately would like to purchase the vehicle that minimizes total cost of ownership over these 10 years. Think step by step and show your work. Output the results in a table.
5. Document Analysis
You can also attach documents, photos, and screenshots directly to an AI model, allowing it to analyze and answer questions about their contents. This approach can save you a significant amount of time, effort, and even money in some situations. For example, imagine having a question about your lengthy apartment lease and not wanting to sift through all 30 pages yourself. Or perhaps you spot a leak in your car—rather than immediately paying a mechanic, just snap a photo, upload it to AI, and ask for advice. While AI typically provides helpful insights, remember it might not be perfect on the first try. If you’re not satisfied with its initial answer, try refining your question or providing more context until you get the clarity you’re after.
To attach documents and photos, simply hit the “+” button located in the bottom left corner of the AI’s input box. For screenshots, simply take a screenshot with the snip tool and copy and paste the photo into the AI’s input box. Most AI models will allow you to attach many photos or documents at once.
Finding Info in a Lengthy Document
I’ve attached a 50 page user manual for my 2018 Toyota Corolla. Please read through the usual manual and find the following information: what type of engine oil do I need? What is the recommended tire pressure? Where is the car’s jack point?
Summarizing a Long article
Suppose you are an expert in real estate. I’ve attached a 30-page document on the current state of the real estate market in Austin, TX. Please read through the entire document and boil it down into 5 key points in a bulleted list. Based on these points, offer advice to home buyers and sellers.
Personal Finance
Suppose you are an expert in personal finance. I’ve attached a spreadsheet that contains a detailed list of my annual expenditures. I am trying to cut down on my expenses so I can save more for investments. Please tally all of my expenditures, categorize them, and offer suggestions on how I can cut spending based on what’s in the spreadsheet.
6. Learning
Out of all the use cases in this section, I probably use AI for learning the most. Before AI, we relied on books, Google searches, or YouTube videos to learn something new. All of these are helpful tools, but they’re not always tailored to how you learn best. With AI, you just tell it exactly what concept you want explained and how you want it broken down. Need a detailed, technical explanation? AI can do that. Prefer a simple summary or an explanation that even a five-year-old could understand? AI can handle that too. If AI provides an explanation that doesn’t make sense to you, just give it that feedback and ask it to describe the concept another way. You can also go deep down the rabbit hole with AI, continuing to ask pointed questions about the information it provided in its previous response. Once you get used to learning this way, traditional methods feel slow and frustrating by comparison.
Deep Dives
Suppose you are an experienced nuclear physicist. I’d like to do a deep dive into nuclear energy. How is it created and where does it come from? What is it used for? What are the pros and cons? What is the current state of the technology and where is it headed? Any other information you think I should know? Please explain in simple terms.
Comparing Several Items
Suppose you are an experienced financial advisor. I’d like to understand the difference between a 401k, Roth IRA, traditional IRA, HSA, taxable brokerage account, and high yield savings account. Explain the purpose of each account, tax benefits, and how I should prioritize each account. Show the results in a table.
Personal Finance
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Suppose you are an experienced macroeconomist. Come up with an easy to understand analogy to explain inflation: what it is, where it comes from, and how to mitigate it. |
7. Image Generation
AI allows users to quickly produce customized visuals without needing professional design skills or expensive software. Common uses include generating logos, social media graphics, concept art, and image editing. However, AI-generated images often struggle with accuracy, especially in rendering text or fine details like faces and fingers. You can improve results through careful prompting and iteration. While far from perfect, AI image tools can significantly reduce barriers to visual creation in many situations.
Logo Creation
Create a logo for a sustainable home building company called “GreenBeam.” Use a combination of a small modern house and a leaf, line-art style, pastel green and warm beige color palette, flat design, vector graphic, with natural lighting and soft shadows, clean white background.
Image Transformation
Transform the attached summer mountain landscape into a snowy winter version. Cover the ground and trees in snow, adjust lighting to feel cooler and more subdued, and add a few snowflakes falling.
Painting Reenactment
Create an image of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, painted in the style of a 1700s classical oil painting, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, earthy color palette with rich reds and browns, ornate frame aesthetic, medium brushstroke texture, historical accuracy prioritized.
