HACKER Q&A
📣 karaokeyoga

Do you use "please" when writing LLM prompts?


Do you use "please" when writing LLM prompts?


  👤 MrVandemar Accepted Answer ✓
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 ...

👤 inhumantsar
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."


👤 catlover76
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.


👤 stray
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.


👤 tumsfestival
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.

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