5 ChatGPT hacks I wish Id started using sooner they completely changed how I use AI

Date:
Mon, 18 May 2026 16:30:00 +0000

Description:
From brutally honest feedback to clearer answers and smarter prompts, these simple ChatGPT hacks can dramatically improve the responses you get from AI.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Most people use ChatGPT like a smarter search engine : type a question, get an answer, move on. But after months of using AI tools every single day, Ive realized something that a lot of people miss tiny changes to the way you phrase prompts can completely transform the quality of the responses you get back.

Eventually, you start to figure out these things yourself through trial and error, but it's a lot easier if somebody gives you a head start. So, here are the best hacks I've discovered that produce better, more meaningful results from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other AI chatbots. The best part is that theyre not long, complicated prompts you need to copy and paste constantly. Instead, theyre simple phrases you can add either at the start of a chat or
at the end of your request almost as an afterthought but they can make a surprisingly big difference to the kind of answers you get back. Latest
Videos From You may like 5 shortcuts for better ChatGPT prompts I use the 'assignment' prompt to skip any ChatGPT confusion I used Dale Carnegies
people skills on ChatGPT and it became more helpful 1. Make no assumptions
One thing you quickly notice when using ChatGPT is that it can sometimes go off in strange directions because it only has the information youve written
in your prompt. To fill in the gaps, it makes assumptions and those assumptions arent always correct.

Quite often, the AI will ask clarifying questions before answering, but you can make sure it happens more consistently by adding these two sentences to the end of your prompt.

Just type: Make no assumptions. Ask me for clarification before you begin.

Its a tiny change, but it can produce far more accurate and on-point responses. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. 2. Make me a prompt to have you... You can actually ask AI to create prompts for you to use on itself. As strange as it sounds, AI is actually very good at figuring out the best wording to get stronger results from itself.

For example, using ChatGPT, I tried: Make me a prompt to have you tell me the most important news stories with an emphasis on sport.

ChatGPT then produced an impressively detailed prompt for me to paste back into a new chat one that not only gathered the days major sports stories,
but also highlighted online arguments, controversies, and underreported talking points. What to read next A 'lazy' ChatGPT prompt change is the smartest option ChatGPT improves when you ask twice or more I use the
'invert' prompt to answer problems before they arise

Here it is: Act as my personal news editor. Give me a concise roundup of the most important news stories from the last 24 hours, ranked by significance
and public impact. Prioritize sport heavily especially major football,
combat sports, Formula 1, tennis, and big international events but also include any genuinely major world news, tech, politics, science, or culture stories that people will likely be talking about today.

For each story:

Give a punchy headline

Explain why it matters in 24 sentences

Include key context or consequences

Flag if the story is controversial, surprising, historic, or likely to dominate social media

Separate confirmed facts from speculation or rumors

Structure it like a smart morning briefing rather than a dry newswire.

Finish with:

What everyone online is arguing about

One underreported story worth watching

Biggest sports talking point of the day

Keep the tone sharp, informed, and readable like a mix of a newsroom briefing and a really good sports desk editor. 3. No em dashes Typing No em dashes is a surprisingly effective instruction if youre tired of ChatGPT constantly using em dashes () in its writing.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with em dashes I use them myself but
ChatGPT is extremely fond of them, and once you notice it, you start seeing them everywhere.

If you never want to see another em dash again, try adding something like: Remember to never use em dashes at all.

If memory is enabled, ChatGPT may even remember the preference long-term. 4. Act like a brutally honest mentor If you want unfiltered feedback on a business idea, article draft, creative project, or long-term plan, try starting your prompt with: Act like a brutally honest mentor.

This tends to push ChatGPT away from its usual overly supportive tone and toward more critical, direct feedback. The results can genuinely be useful because the AI starts pointing out weaknesses, blind spots, and unrealistic assumptions instead of simply encouraging everything.

That said, be warned: it can occasionally feel a little brutal. 5. Explain this to me like Im five There are countless versions of this prompt floating around online, but the variation I always come back to is simply: Explain this to me like Im five.

For complicated subjects, its one of the fastest ways to cut through jargon and understand the core idea underneath. Whether its quantum physics, mortgages, AI models, or tax systems, forcing ChatGPT to simplify concepts often reveals whether something actually makes sense or was just buried under complicated language.

Some subjects are just easier to understand when theyre explained like a bedtime story. Getting better results The funny thing about AI chatbots is that most people only use a tiny fraction of what theyre capable of. A lot of the difference between a frustrating answer and a genuinely useful one comes down to how you phrase the request.

Thats why these little prompt hacks matter. None of them are complicated, but they change the way ChatGPT responds whether that means asking better questions, giving more honest feedback, simplifying difficult ideas, or tailoring its writing style to what you actually want. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/chatgpt/5-chatgpt-hacks-i-wi sh-id-started-using-sooner-they-completely-changed-how-i-use-ai


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