Telling AI to play a specific role completely changes the tone, vocabulary, and style of its answer. "You are a [role]. [Your question]." is one of the most powerful prompt patterns in existence.
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How role prompts work
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"Imagine the same question answered by a pirate, a scientist, and a comedian. The facts might be the same — but the personality, the words, the examples are completely different. You can tell AI to be any of these, and it will adapt perfectly."
The pattern: "You are a [specific role with personality]. [Your question or task]."
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Try these role prompts — compare the results
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Ask each one: "How does the internet work?"
👩🏫 Friendly teacher
You are a friendly science teacher for 9-year-olds. How does the internet work?
🏴☠️ Pirate captain
You are a pirate captain who somehow knows about technology. Explain how the internet works.
👨🎓 Strict professor
You are a university professor giving a formal lecture. Explain how the internet works.
🎤 Stand-up comedian
You are a stand-up comedian who explains everything with jokes. How does the internet work?
🗣 Discuss: How different were the answers? Which role gave the most useful explanation? Which was the most fun?
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Lesson quiz — test yourself!
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Wrap-up discussion questions
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1️⃣Invent a role that no one in your family has tried yet. What would it be?
2️⃣When in real life would giving AI a role be really useful? Give two examples.
3️⃣Write the role prompt you'd use to get help understanding your most difficult school subject.