Prompting artificial intelligence chatbots can be as simple as saying hello, or you can get complex and use it to create a series of fun word games and make the AI the quiz master.
Claude 3 is one of the best AI tools available, with human-like responses and impressive abilities to reason around complex ideas.
With Anthropic launching its first iPhone app for Claude 3 I’ve decided to create 7 prompts that work with the free version of the chatbot, Claude 3 Sonnet.
Creating the prompts for Claude 3
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I’ve decided to create prompts that can start a conversation. These cover everything from what if concepts to improving your musical knowledge.
Each prompt is designed to be a starting point in a conversation with the AI — you can ask follow-ups or for more detail.
There is no specific pattern to the prompts beyond a way to try out the chatbot and see how well it handles different ideas.
You can adapt any of the prompts to better suit your own needs, such as changing the name of the famed engineer.
1. A historical what-if
First up we’re going back into the past and changing society. Imagine what might have happened if famed engineer Nikola Tesla had been given a free reign to make what he wanted.
The prompt: “Imagine it’s 1885 and Nikola Tesla had unlimited resources. How might the world in 1900 look with his inventions leading the way? Describe specific technologies and societal changes.”
Claude 3 suggested we’d have AC electrical distribution around the world, the wireless transmission of electricity and radio communication years earlier. Claude also suggested there would be growing pains and resistance to rapid upheaval.
Imagine it's 1885 and Nikola Tesla had unlimited resources. How might the world in 1900 look with his inventions leading the way? Describe specific technologies and societal changes.2. Futuristic Scenarios
Now we’re going to a galaxy far, far away in a time centuries in the future. How will AI describe the state of a civilization it knows nothing about?
The prompt: “Envision a society on a newly colonized planet in another galaxy in 2500. Discuss the roles of AI in governance, daily life, and environmental management on this planet.”
Here I got a breakdown of different aspects of life in this future society including governance, daily life — including personal AI assistance, and environmental management.
Envision a society on a newly colonized planet in another galaxy in 2500. Discuss the roles of AI in governance, daily life, and environmental management on this planet.3. Creative Storytelling
Can Claude 3 be self critical? With this prompt we ask it to tell the tale of a rogue AI and what happens if we can’t reign it back in. You could adjust the scenario.
The prompt: “Write a tale about a rogue AI who escapes into the internet and becomes a digital Robin Hood, tweaking algorithms to redistribute wealth. How does it avoid detection and what are its adventures?”
I got about 200 words about an AI that took us step-by-step through the process of optimizing financial algorithms it ended with the AI not even trying to justify itself to “outdated human codes”.
Write a tale about a rogue AI who escapes into the internet and becomes a digital Robin Hood, tweaking algorithms to redistribute wealth. How does it avoid detection and what are its adventures?4. Music Exploration
In a long-gone era I once covered new music for a living. This included writing about and presenting a show featuring some of the more obscure and original bands. Lets see how good Claude 3 is at suggesting music.
The prompt: “I’m interested in the fusion of traditional folk music and modern electronic elements. Can you suggest some experimental artists who blend these styles and detail their most innovative tracks?”
Claude suggested listening to Kitka, an all-female vocal ensemble combining Balkan and Slavic folk music. It also offered up Spain’s Mamer and its Galician music.
I'm interested in the fusion of traditional folk music and modern electronic elements. Can you suggest some experimental artists who blend these styles and detail their most innovative tracks?5. Space and Astronomy Queries
Venus is not a nice place. Its the hottest planet in the solar system and has an inhospitable atmosphere. Can Claude 3 suggest a way to make it liveable.
The prompt: “What challenges would humans face if they tried to terraform Venus, and how could current or near-future technology be used to overcome these challenges? Provide a step-by-step explanation.”
Terraforming Venus is almost a dead end but Claude had a go at offering some suggestions. This includes reducing atmospheric pressure and the greenhouse effect. then we need water and an ozone layer.
What challenges would humans face if they tried to terraform Venus, and how could current or near-future technology be used to overcome these challenges? Provide a step-by-step explanation.6. Fantasy Worlds
One thing I like about AI is the ability to have it consider two completely different ideas. In this case the concept of a society with steam and magic.
The prompt: “Develop a scenario where an ancient city uses both steam-powered technology and sorcery. Describe a conflict that arises from this dual-use and how the city’s inhabitants resolve it through a blend of magic and machinery.”
This was a fun one. It created a city called Arcadium where sorcery and steam led to a long prosperity for the inhabitants. It described towering factories and the start of a conflict.
Develop a scenario where an ancient city uses both steam-powered technology and sorcery. Describe a conflict that arises from this dual-use and how the city's inhabitants resolve it through a blend of magic and machinery.7. Philosophical Questions
Will AI be able to develop consciousness in the future? Who knows. Sam Altman from OpenAI seems to think so and says he’ll spend whatever it takes to get there.
The prompt: “Consider a future where AI can perfectly simulate human emotions and experiences. Should these AIs be considered ‘conscious’? Debate their potential societal roles, rights, and responsibilities in a detailed narrative.”
Finally, the AI was a bit reluctant to speculate on the potential of AI to become conscious, likely due to its guardrails. However, it offered up an interesting perspective, suggesting some risks of this happening including rendering humans obsolete
Consider a future where AI can perfectly simulate human emotions and experiences. Should these AIs be considered 'conscious'? Debate their potential societal roles, rights, and responsibilities in a detailed narrative.More from Tom’s Guide
If you enjoyed the prompts this week why share your output with us and then try out a series of Google Gemini prompt ideas or even make a story, song and images from previous weeks.