Tech Tip of the Month: Don’t Ask AI Questions. Give It a Job.
A practical Tech Tip for getting clearer, more useful answers from the AI tools you already use.
Written by Connected Platforms | Updated September 2026 | 5 minute read
Stop asking broad questions
Most people use AI like a search engine. That leaves the tool guessing what matters, who the answer is for and how much detail you need. Give it a role, an outcome and enough context to understand the job.
Weak prompt
“Tell me about cyber security.”
Better prompt
“Act as an IT consultant and explain the top cyber security risks for a 50-person business in plain English.”
The second prompt gives the AI a useful perspective, a business size, a subject and a writing style. That makes the answer far more likely to be relevant.
Four details improve almost any prompt
A few extra details can turn a generic answer into something genuinely useful.
- Who you are: Your role, business type or level of knowledge.
- What you are trying to achieve: The decision, task or result you need help with.
- Your audience: Who will read or use the answer.
- The format you want: A short email, bullet list, table, checklist or step-by-step explanation.
A reusable prompt formula
“Act as [role]. Help me [outcome]. This is for [audience]. Use [format and tone]. Consider [important context].”
Start there, then refine the answer with follow-up instructions rather than beginning again.
Four simple ways to use AI at work
The best starting points are small, repeatable tasks where you can easily review the result.
Summarise a long email chain
Received a lengthy email thread? Paste the relevant content into your approved AI tool and ask:
“Summarise this email into three key points and list any actions required from me.”
You can understand the discussion quickly without losing the decisions or follow-up tasks.
Turn meeting notes into action items
After a meeting, ask:
“Review these notes and create a list of action items with owners and due dates.”
Check every owner and date before sharing the list.
Improve an email before sending
Paste a draft and ask:
“Rewrite this email to be more professional, concise and friendly. Keep the meaning the same.”
Read the finished version carefully so it still sounds like you.
Use AI as a thought partner
If you are stuck on a problem, do not ask for one definitive answer. Try:
“Give me five different ways I could approach this challenge. For each option, explain the main benefit and trade-off.”
AI is often most useful for generating options you can assess, not making the final decision for you.
Check the answer before you use it
AI can make mistakes, miss context or present incorrect information confidently. Treat its response as a draft. Check important facts, calculations, names and dates before relying on it.
Do not paste passwords, confidential client information, personal data or commercially sensitive material into an AI tool unless your business has approved that tool and how it is configured.
The prompt matters, but judgement still matters more.
Common questions about using AI at work
AI can save time, but the right safeguards still matter. These are the questions businesses should answer before relying on it.
What information should I never paste into AI?
Do not enter passwords, login codes, personal or health information, confidential client details, financial records or anything your business has not approved for use with AI.
Can I trust an AI-generated answer?
Treat every response as a draft. Check names, dates, figures, links and factual claims against a reliable source. Important legal, cyber security, financial or business decisions still need qualified human review.
Which AI tool is suitable for business use?
Use a company-approved platform with suitable privacy, data retention and administrative controls. Check whether prompts are stored or used for training, where data is processed and who can access the account.
Put AI to work without creating new risks
Connected Platforms helps Brisbane businesses use AI and automation in practical, secure ways.
