Lesson 257 of 1234
Tell AI What NOT to Do: Negative Prompting
Sometimes telling AI what NOT to do is just as important as telling it what to do.
Lesson map
What this lesson covers
Learning path
The main moves in order
- 1The big idea
- 2AI and Saying No: Telling AI What to Skip
- 3The big idea
- 4Telling AI What NOT to Do (and Why It's Tricky)
Concept cluster
Terms to connect while reading
Section 1
The big idea
AI is a people-pleaser. If you do not say what you don't want, you might get exactly that thing. Speak up about what to skip.
Some examples
- 'Make me a snack idea — but no peanut butter, I am allergic.'
- 'Tell me a story — but do not make it scary.'
- 'Help with my essay — but do not write the actual sentences. Just give me ideas.'
- 'Give me jokes — but keep them clean and school-appropriate.'
Try it!
Ask AI for a story. Then ask again, adding 'but no animals can talk in this one.' Notice how it adjusts.
Key terms in this lesson
Section 2
AI and Saying No: Telling AI What to Skip
Section 3
The big idea
Sometimes you want AI to leave stuff out. Maybe you don't want spoilers, or you don't want scary parts. Just tell AI 'do not include _____'.
Some examples
- 'No spoilers, please.'
- 'Do not use scary words.'
- 'Leave out anything sad.'
- 'Skip the long intro and just answer.'
Try it!
Ask AI for a story about a brave kid, but say 'no monsters and no sad endings.' See if it follows your rule.
Here's why "AI and Saying No: Telling AI What to Skip" matters: The words you type to an AI are called a prompt. Better words = better answers! Learn to tell AI what NOT to include in its answer — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.
- Learn what "filters" means and why it's important
- Learn what "exclude" means and why it's important
- Learn what "avoid" means and why it's important
- 1Ask AI to explain your favourite animal like you're five
- 2Ask AI to write a haiku about your school day
- 3Ask AI for three ideas for a fun weekend activity
Section 4
Telling AI What NOT to Do (and Why It's Tricky)
Section 5
The big idea
It's like saying 'don't think of a pink elephant' — your brain pictures one anyway. AI is similar! Saying 'don't be boring' isn't as good as saying 'be exciting'.
Some examples
- Better: 'Use happy words' instead of 'don't be sad.'
- Better: 'Make it short' instead of 'don't make it long.'
- Better: 'Use simple language' instead of 'no big words.'
- Better: 'Talk like a friend' instead of 'don't be formal.'
Try it!
Try this: ask for a story 'with no scary parts'. Then ask for a story 'that is happy and silly'. Notice the difference!
Section 6
Tell AI What You DON'T Want
Section 7
The big idea
Did you know you can tell AI what you DON'T want? Add 'no spiders' or 'no big words' and AI usually skips them. It's like telling a chef 'no onions please'.
Some examples
- 'Tell a story — no scary parts.'
- 'Explain it — no fancy words.'
- 'Give me ideas — no candy or sugar.'
- 'Write a poem — no rhyming please.'
Try it!
Ask AI for a bedtime story with 'no monsters and no math'!
Here's why "Tell AI What You DON'T Want" matters: The words you type to an AI are called a prompt. Better words = better answers! Saying 'no scary stuff' or 'no big words' steers AI away from problems — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.
- Learn what "constraints" means and why it's important
- Learn what "negative prompt" means and why it's important
- Learn what "guardrails" means and why it's important
- 1Ask AI to explain your favourite animal like you're five
- 2Ask AI to write a haiku about your school day
- 3Ask AI for three ideas for a fun weekend activity
Section 8
Telling AI What NOT to Include
Section 9
The big idea
You can tell AI what to skip. 'No spoilers,' 'no big words,' 'no scary stuff' — all helpful.
Some examples
- 'Tell me about sharks but NO scary parts.'
- 'Help with my essay but DON'T use big words.'
- 'Talk about Star Wars but NO spoilers.'
- AI tries to follow what you say to skip.
Try it!
Ask AI to describe a movie you like, but say 'no spoilers!' See if it manages.
Here's why "Telling AI What NOT to Include" matters: The words you type to an AI are called a prompt. Better words = better answers! Sometimes what to leave out matters as much as what to put in — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.
- Learn what "constraints" means and why it's important
- Learn what "prompting" means and why it's important
- Learn what "clarity" means and why it's important
- 1Ask AI to explain your favourite animal like you're five
- 2Ask AI to write a haiku about your school day
- 3Ask AI for three ideas for a fun weekend activity
Section 10
Tell AI What NOT to Do
Section 11
The big idea
You can tell AI what NOT to do, not just what to do. 'No big words' or 'do not use lists' helps.
Some examples
- 'Explain it but no science words.'
- 'Do not give me a list, give me a story.'
- 'No more than 3 sentences.'
- 'Do not say sorry, just answer.'
Try it!
Ask AI a question with 'no jargon, no lists, just plain talk.' See how clean the answer gets.
Here's why "Tell AI What NOT to Do" matters: The words you type to an AI are called a prompt. Better words = better answers! Saying 'no big words' or 'no lists' tells AI what to avoid — and knowing how to apply this gives you a concrete advantage.
- Learn what "constraints" means and why it's important
- Learn what "negative prompt" means and why it's important
- Learn what "prompting" means and why it's important
- 1Ask AI to explain your favourite animal like you're five
- 2Ask AI to write a haiku about your school day
- 3Ask AI for three ideas for a fun weekend activity
End-of-lesson quiz
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