Research suggests that being polite to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT does not reliably improve accuracy, despite widespread belief to the contrary. Experiments testing flattery, encouragement and even insults found inconsistent results across different large language models.
Experts in the US say many prominent engineering myths have faded as AI systems have improved. Minor wording changes, such as adding ‘please’ or ‘thank you’, are unlikely to influence mainstream generative AI tools consistently.
Computer scientists argue that users should treat AI as a tool rather than a person. Techniques that do work include asking for multiple options, providing concrete examples and requesting step-by-step clarification before generating a final response.
Researchers also warn that role playing can reduce accuracy when a question has one correct answer, potentially increasing hallucinations. For creative tasks, however, role play and iterative questioning can still be effective when used carefully.
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