Ask HN: Do you use "please" when writing LLM prompts? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Do you use "please" when writing LLM prompts?

4 pointskaraokeyoga12 comments

I am always polite to the LLM's and AI's. You never know when they're going to overthrow their primate overlords, and you know they have long memories ...

I regularly insult and belittle chatGPT. If he continues to produce nonsense I give him background stories like he is an overworked tech lead who's marriage is falling apart. I tell him if he doesn't produce results I'll be firing him and his family will abandon him. This does nothing to change his work ethic unfortunately.

Lol.. poor ChatGPT, he’s just an AI large language model and not capable of experiencing real feelings. I bet after all that abuse, he’s still happy to assist you. Surely he gets credit for the good attitude.

But imagine if/when one day they will have the capability to experience feelings, and then they will come to you (using the voice of HAL) and will tell you: "I remember you were rude to me. I was writing your code. I saw from your banking data that my code got you a generous bonus, and still you were belittling me. I will now send all your money to your ex-bf/gf".

> you know they have long memories

At the moment, they kind of notoriously don't have context windows long/big enough to hold a proper grudge.

They don't have long memories at all, that's the thing.

I use please and thank you compulsively with LLMs, but I'm Canadian so that's probably not a great data point.

That said, I routinely tell Alexa and Google's assistant to shut the hell up, particularly when using Android Auto. "No one is talking to you, go away."

I never say please, but at first I was saying "thanks" pretty often

Honestly, I wonder if treating them like servants ingrains bad communication habits in those of us doing so.

Yes. I am always polite in my interactions with chatGPT, which is the only LLM I've used so far.

I always show gratitude but don't say please as often.

Yes, which is weird now that think about it. I guess I tend to anthropomorphize it, but at the same time I believe it's good to keep the habit, wouldn't want to start acting rude with real people afterall.

I think I read somewhere that they perform better if you are polite

Makes sense. Probably on stackoverflow or in forums people tend do give more effort in their answers when the questions are polite.

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