Prompt Engineering for AI Agents: My Personal Favorites

Ever felt like your AI wasn’t quite on the same page as you? It's not the AI, it’s your prompt. Providing the best instructions effectively to AI agents is a skill, and frameworks like RISEN and Chain of Thought can improve your results. Here's how they work.

The RISEN Framework: Setting the Stage for Success

Think of RISEN as your prompt-building blueprint. Each component works together to help the AI understand your request with laser focus. When you leave ambiguity in your prompt, you force the AI to guess what you want. RISEN eliminates that guesswork.

• R: Role
  Assign a specific role to set the tone and style. Instead of “Write a blog post,” say, “You are a tech journalist specializing in AI.” This provides context for the AI, influencing how it approaches the task.

• I: Instructions
  Vague instructions lead to generic results. For a blog post, specify: “Draft a 1,000-word article about the top AI trends for 2024. Highlight real-world applications and include three key predictions for the future.” This clarity reduces back-and-forth edits.

• S: Steps
  Break down the task into steps to guide the process. For example:

  • Step 1: Research three major AI trends for 2024.

  • Step 2: Provide real-world examples for each trend.

  • Step 3: Summarize with a conclusion that includes predictions.

• E: End Goal
  Define what the final output should look like. For the blog post: “Deliver a polished article in a professional tone with subheadings for each trend and a concluding paragraph summarizing key takeaways.”

• N: Narrowing
  Focus the AI by excluding irrelevant information. For instance: “Only include examples from the tech industry and avoid discussing consumer gadgets.” Narrowing ensures the content aligns with your goals.

Chain of Thought: Encouraging Step-by-Step Reasoning

When tasks involve reasoning, use Chain of Thought to guide the AI’s thinking. This method encourages detailed, logical responses instead of rushed conclusions.

Example:
Prompt: “Let’s think step by step. First, evaluate the profitability of our first location. Next, analyze customer demand in potential areas. Then, estimate expansion costs. Finally, weigh revenue potential against costs and provide a recommendation.”

By asking for the reasoning behind each step, you get a structured breakdown that’s easy to follow and refine.

These frameworks improve not just your AI Agents results, but also your collaboration with technology. Next time your AI feels “off,” tweak your prompt—and watch the Improvement.

Want to see these strategies in action? In my next YouTube video this Sunday, I’ll dive deeper into RISEN and Chain of Thought, breaking down real-world examples step by step. Don’t miss it!

Cheers,

Sercan | The AI Agent Guy