I discovered a immediate that retains AI brokers from taking duties too far

However it will probably nonetheless be arduous to foretell what an AI may do within the warmth of the second, notably in the case of how—and when—they’ll resolve they’re really completed with the duty you’ve handed them.

Right here’s the place a key side of AI prompting comes into play. One useful option to preserve ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini from taking a probably harmful command too far is to rigorously describe your required consequence.

Or put one other manner, you can also make the AI outline what “finished” means for a given process. This complete “outline finished” idea isn’t new. It’s a preferred prompting idea that helps the AI to remain on track and keep away from supplying you with a impolite shock on the finish.

Many alternative variations of the “outline finished” immediate exist. I took the bones of 1 such immediate and honed it with the assistance of GPT 5.6 Sol (the mannequin that powers ChatGPT Work) and Claude Opus 5, going backwards and forwards till the immediate was working the best way I anticipated.

Right here’s the immediate:

Earlier than you begin, give this process a transparent end line. Maintain it temporary and proportional to the scale of the job.

**Outcome:** What will probably be true when the duty is completed.

**What you’ll produce:** The particular factor you’ll make or change.

**How I’ll know:** One thing I can examine, check, depend, or in any other case confirm for myself.

**Not a part of finished:** Associated work you may discover however will depart alone.

**Open questions:** Something ambiguous that may change what “finished” means. If there are none, write “none.”

Use the smallest full model of my request. Keep away from obscure objectives like “enhance” or “optimize.”

Then cease. Don’t start work in the identical reply — watch for my go-ahead. As soon as I approve, cease as quickly because the examine passes. In case you discover the rest, listing it individually underneath “Not a part of this process,” however don’t act on it until I ask.

And right here’s a extra compact and moveable model: