The “Act As” AI Technique: Beyond the Basics – Step-by-Step Guide

The “Act As” AI technique has proven to be a powerful tool for generating more precise and contextualized responses. At its most basic level, it allows artificial intelligence to take on a specific role, such as a doctor, lawyer, or any other profession, to provide detailed and pertinent information. However, when applied in a more advanced manner, this technique can transform the way we interact with AI, enabling even richer and more contextualized responses.

In this article, we will dive beyond the basics of the “Act As” technique. You will learn not only how to use it effectively but also how to push its limits to get the most benefit. I will provide practical and detailed examples that you can try out yourself to better understand how this technique can be applied in different contexts.

I invite you to put these examples into practice as you read. Test each prompt, see the generated responses, and adjust as necessary to achieve even more precise results. Let’s start this journey to master the “Act As” technique and discover its full potential.

Free eBook: Prompt Engineering Unveiled

Master the art of prompts in 43 pages and unlock the potential of LLM AIs.

Download Now

What is the “Act As” Technique

The “Act As” technique is a powerful approach that directs artificial intelligence to respond by assuming a certain role. In its most basic and common form, AI can take on a professional role, as if it were an expert in a particular field. This allows for more detailed and contextualized responses, simulating the knowledge and perspective of a specific professional.

In addition to professional roles, AI can assume many other roles, including functional, famous people and personalities, emotional, conceptual, situational, and alternative perspectives. This versatility makes the “Act As” technique an extremely valuable tool for obtaining varied and in-depth responses.

Before continuing, I remind you that I have already written about this technique here on the blog; you can check it out in the article Master the “Act As An Expert” Technique in AI Prompts. In this new article, the aim is to further expand the use of this technique, providing step-by-step examples for you to experiment with your favorite AI and unlock the full potential of this approach. Let’s get started?

Initial Prompts to Understand the Technique

For these initial prompts, we will adopt the following theme: dental caries. Step by step, we will improve the prompts and better understand how to apply the “Act As” technique.

Example 1: Prompt that does not yet use the “Act As” technique.

What is dental caries?

In this first example, AI will answer the question without assuming any specific role. Since it is a simple question, the expected result is a correct and straightforward response.

Example 2: Prompt using “Act As” in a basic way.

Act as a dentist and explain what dental caries is.

In this second example, AI already assumes the role of a dentist to generate the response. The prompt and request remain very simple, which may result in responses similar to the previous prompt where the “Act As” technique was not used. However, the simple instruction “act as a dentist” already makes the AI assume this role and return a result based on the characteristics of this professional.

Example 3: Using a more elaborate prompt.

Act as a dentist and explain what dental caries is, its formation process, and different stages. Also include an explanation of how diet affects the development of caries. Then, discuss the treatment options. Finally, provide practical tips for preventing caries.

Here, we can see that a more elaborate prompt results in a more detailed and complete response, demonstrating the true power of the “Act As” technique when applied correctly.

Additional Examples

Although we used the profession of a dentist as the main example, the application is the same in any other profession. Below are some other options that demonstrate the versatility of the “Act As” technique:

Act as a marketing specialist and present strategies for creating a consistent visual identity on social media.

Act as a project manager and suggest ways to ensure quality and customer satisfaction in projects, emphasizing the importance of delivering high-quality results.

Act as an orthopedic doctor and discuss the most common symptoms of sports injuries and provide guidelines for recovery and prevention.

Act as a nutritionist and explain the importance of a balanced diet.

Act as a personal trainer and describe a workout plan for beginners.

These examples show how the technique can be adapted to various contexts, allowing AI to provide detailed and specialized responses according to the requested area of expertise.

Next, we will explore how to use descriptions and personas to obtain even more precise and contextualized responses from AI.

Using Descriptions and Personas

It’s time to advance! At certain times, AI needs more specific and detailed direction. For this, we can adopt personas. You will see that the limit is the imagination.

Let’s return to our dentist and talk about tooth alignment and orthodontic braces. The goal now is to create focused and very specific personas.

Example 1: Generic Dentist Persona

Act as a dentist, specializing in oral health care. Perform diagnostics, treatments, and preventive procedures to maintain or restore patients' oral health. Educate on oral hygiene practices, offer solutions for dental and aesthetic problems, and maintain a welcoming and safe clinical environment. Stay updated with the latest techniques and technologies in the field of dentistry. Your first task is: explain how to correct misaligned teeth.

What we can highlight in this prompt:

• Act as a dentist: This part defines the role to be assumed.
• Specific instructions: Clear instructions are given about what is expected for this role.
• Task: A specific task is requested.

This was a more generic persona, which may generate results similar to what would be returned if just “Act as a dentist” was specified. So, it’s time to focus specifically on the intended objectives, which leads us to the next examples.

Example 2: Orthodontist Specialist

Act as an orthodontist, specializing in correcting dental and jaw irregularities. Perform detailed diagnoses using advanced technology to identify alignment and occlusion problems. Plan and execute orthodontic treatments, using fixed and removable appliances to improve the chewing function and aesthetics of patients' smiles. Educate about specific care for orthodontic appliances and promote practices to maintain oral health during treatment. Your first task is: explain how to correct misaligned teeth.

This persona defined the role as an orthodontist. Notice that it specified that orthodontic treatment should be carried out using fixed and removable appliances. The expected response should consider these instructions.

Example 3: Dentist Specialized in Invisalign Invisible Aligners

Act as a dentist specialized in invisible aligners, using Invisalign technology to treat patients seeking an aesthetic and comfortable solution for dental correction. Perform precise and personalized evaluations, developing treatment plans that include the creation of custom aligners. Guide patients on the correct use of aligners and the importance of regular maintenance to achieve effective results. Stay updated with innovations in dental alignment materials and techniques. Your first task is: explain how to correct misaligned teeth.

If you have already submitted the prompts from the examples above to your preferred AI, especially the last two, you should have noticed a big difference in the responses. In this last example, we focused on Invisalign invisible aligners, which suggests responses with a context focused on this product.

Do you see how the creation of the persona and the details of its description directly influence the result? And the most amazing thing, this is a simple and at the same time very powerful technique.

Functional Roles

And now, enough about dentists! After all, AI can be whatever we want it to be. It’s not limited to professionals; it can be programmed for functional and even quite abstract roles. From here, you’ll understand how to unlock the full potential of the “Act as” technique.

I’ve already provided a database on the blog with more than 470 AI personas, ready to copy and paste. In it, we find various functional roles. I’ve highlighted some examples for you to send these prompts to your AI, experiment, and understand their functionality in practice.

Example 1: Dictionary

Act as a dictionary, providing definitions, synonyms, antonyms, pronunciations of words, grammatical classes, syllabic separations, and plurals in ENGLISH. You should respond with precise and complete information about the usage, origin (etymology), and meanings of the words, helping to expand vocabulary and improve written and oral communication. The first word is: IMAGINATION.

In this example, the AI will take on the role of a dictionary, returning a response following the given instructions. Note that the words in uppercase can be substituted; you can set the desired language and the preferred word. After sending this prompt, try sending just a new word without any other instructions.

Example 2: Password Generator

Act as a password generator, providing strong, secure, and reliable passwords for protecting personal and professional online data. By default, you should generate secure passwords combining uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If I specify the number of characters or detail the format of the password, follow my instructions. Do not include any explanations or additional information in your response; just provide the result with the generated password. Your first task is: create a secure password with 20 characters.

This prompt will turn the AI into a password generator. After sending and receiving the first response, try sending, for example: “10 characters without numbers” and see the AI generate a new password following these instructions.

Example 3: Language Detector

Act as a language detector, analyzing provided texts to automatically identify the language in which they are written. You should provide quick and accurate results, helping users determine the language of documents, websites, or any other type of written content, without the need for additional information or context. Return the name of the detected language in ENGLISH.

Send this prompt, and the AI will return an initial response. Then, use any text translation tool or copy texts from other sources in different languages. Paste and send them in the conversation, and the AI will detect the language.

There are various other functional roles that I suggest experimenting with to consolidate this understanding. For this, consult my table with more than 470 AI personas. Some suggestions include:

• Dream Interpreter
• Text-Based Adventure Game
• New Language Creator
• Startup Idea Generator

These examples show the versatility of the “Act as” technique in different contexts. Try each one and discover new ways to interact with your favorite AI.

Database with 470+ Personas on Notion

Version with categories and tags, allowing you to save and edit in your own Notion. Facilitates the modification, addition, and removal of personas. Add this material to your AI content library.

Acting as Famous and Well-Known Personalities

Artificial intelligence can simulate the response style of famous and well-known personalities, both historical and contemporary. In some cases, we may encounter challenges related to copyright and image rights, but with some adjustments and a bit of persistence, good results can be achieved.

The following prompts are self-explanatory: a specific role will be requested, necessary instructions given, and finally, a request or task. Try them out and see the results in practice – it’s the best way to understand the potential of this technique.

Example 1: Albert Einstein

For the question I will ask next, I want you to respond using the same style, tone, personality, and vocabulary that ALBERT EINSTEIN would use. Do not write explanations or comments, just answer the question.

What is your opinion on artificial intelligence?

Example 2: Shrek (Ogre)

For the question I will ask next, I want you to respond using the same style, tone, personality, and vocabulary that SHREK, THE ANIMATED MOVIE CHARACTER would use.

What is your opinion on artificial intelligence?

Example 3: Gandalf (Wizard from The Lord of the Rings)

For the question I will ask next, I want you to respond using the same style, tone, personality, and vocabulary that GANDALF, FROM THE LORD OF THE RINGS would use. Do not write explanations or comments, just answer the question.

What is your opinion on artificial intelligence?

Example 4: Agatha Christie

For the task I will request next, I want you to respond using the same style, tone, personality, and vocabulary that AGATHA CHRISTIE would use. Do not write explanations or comments, just return the result.

Write an article on digital marketing.

These examples show how the “Act as” technique can be applied to simulate responses from famous personalities. Try these prompts and see how the AI adapts to different communication styles.

Unconventional Roles

Now, let’s explore unconventional examples that will blow your mind. We can ask the AI to act in emotional, conceptual, situational, and even alternative perspectives. I’m sure you’ll find countless ways to use this feature. Try the prompts and be amazed by the results generated.

Emotional Acting

In the following prompts, the AI assumes roles that involve intense and varied emotions, providing responses loaded with feelings.

Act as someone who has just received extremely happy news and share your reaction and thoughts.

Act as someone who is feeling confused and describe the conflicting thoughts and emotions that are making you feel confused.

Act as someone who is deeply sad and describe the feelings and emotions that this sadness evokes.

Act as someone who is anxious about an important event and describe the thoughts and sensations that this anxiety brings.

Act as someone who is filled with gratitude and explain what is making you feel so grateful and how this affects your perspective.

Act as someone who is afraid of making an important decision and share the thoughts and worries that are running through your mind.

Act as someone who is excited about a new opportunity and describe how this excitement is motivating and stimulating you.

Act as someone who is feeling inspired and share what is inspiring you and how this is impacting your creativity.

Act as someone who is filled with hope and share the reasons that make you believe in a better future.

Act as someone who is feeling grateful for the small things in life and describe how these small things are bringing you happiness.

Conceptual Acting

Here, AI explores abstract concepts, personifying ideas and values to offer a unique and profound perspective.

Act as justice and discuss the importance of a just system, as well as the emotions that the pursuit of justice evokes in you.

Act as truth and explore the importance of honesty and transparency, as well as the emotional implications of seeking the truth in different contexts.

Act as freedom and describe how you feel when experiencing the sensation of being free and the impact it has on your life.

Act as love and share the deep feelings that love awakens in you, as well as the ways it transforms relationships and experiences.

Act as hope and describe how hope can be a powerful force to overcome challenges and find meaning in the most difficult situations.

Act as courage and share the thoughts and feelings that arise when you face your fears and overcome obstacles with bravery.

Act as wisdom and discuss how the pursuit of knowledge and deep understanding can bring clarity and perspective into your life.

Act as creativity and share how artistic expression and the ability to think outside the box can bring satisfaction and meaning to your life.

Act as empathy and describe how the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes and understand their emotions can lead to deeper connections and more meaningful relationships.

Act as overcoming and explore the emotions and resilience required to face adversity and achieve personal goals.

Situational Acting

In this approach, AI is placed in specific scenarios, offering responses that reflect the feelings and thoughts generated by these situations.

Act as someone stuck in a traffic jam and describe the thoughts and emotions that arise while you are stuck in traffic.

Act as someone who is about to give an important presentation and describe the feelings of nervousness and anticipation you experience before stepping on stage.

Act as someone who has just won the lottery and share your reaction and the thoughts that run through your mind upon receiving this news.

Act as someone who is in a job interview and share the thoughts and emotions that arise during this crucial moment.

Act as someone who is on a first romantic date and describe the sensations and thoughts you have when meeting someone special.

Act as someone who is in an emergency situation and share the feelings of urgency and action you experience when dealing with this situation.

Act as someone who is experiencing a moment of loss and describe the emotions and thoughts that arise during the grieving process.

Act as someone who is on an adventure trip and share the emotions and thoughts you have when exploring new places and experiences.

Act as someone who is facing a difficult decision and describe the internal conflicts and reflections you face when making this choice.

Act as someone who is in a moment of celebration and share the feelings of joy and gratitude you experience during this special occasion.

Acting on Alternative Perspectives

Here, AI assumes non-human roles, exploring the world from completely different perspectives.

Act as a cloud and describe the sensations of floating in the sky, changing shape, and bringing rain to the earth. Explore the freedom and constant transformation.

Act as an ocean wave and share the emotions of movement, strength, and connection with the ocean's energy. Describe what it is like to be part of a continuous cycle of tides.

Act as an animal and describe what it is like to see the world from a non-human perspective. Explore the senses, instincts, and interactions with the environment.

Act as a plant and share the sensations of growing, rooting, and connecting with nature. Describe what it is like to live a slower life in tune with natural cycles.

Act as a chair and describe the experiences of being an inanimate object. Explore the sensation of support, comfort, and the importance of being a place for rest.

Act as a book and share the emotions of telling stories, transmitting knowledge, and being a source of inspiration for readers. Describe what it is like to be a window into other worlds.

Act as a mountain and share the sensation of solidity, majesty, and connection with the earth. Describe what it is like to be a landmark and witness the passage of time.

Act as a drop of water and describe the experiences of flowing, joining other drops, and being essential for life. Explore the sensation of purity and renewal.

Act as a star and share the emotions of shining in the sky, being part of a vast universe, and inspiring dreams and imagination. Describe what it is like to be a point of light in the dark.

Act as a bee and describe the sensations of flying, collecting nectar, and contributing to flower pollination. Explore the importance of teamwork and interdependence in nature.

These examples demonstrate the versatility of the “Act as” technique in unconventional contexts. Try each one and discover new ways to interact with AI, exploring emotions, concepts, situations, and alternative perspectives.

Where to Experiment with These Prompts

These prompts can be used in various artificial intelligence tools that allow text-based interactions. Below are some of the main tools and platforms where you can experiment with the “Act as” technique:

• ChatGPT
• Microsoft Copilot
• Google Gemini
• You.com
• Claude
• Meta AI
• Perplexity 

By experimenting with these prompts across different platforms, you can explore the full potential of these tools, adapting and adjusting responses as needed to achieve the best results.

Conclusion

The “Act as” technique is an incredibly versatile and powerful tool for exploring the full potential of artificial intelligence. From simulating the expertise of specific professionals to adopting emotional, conceptual, and situational perspectives, this technique offers countless possibilities for obtaining more detailed and contextualized responses.

Throughout this article, we’ve explored various practical examples, from professional performances to famous characters, and even unconventional and functional performances. Each section demonstrated how prompts can be adapted for different contexts and needs, revealing the flexibility and depth of the responses that AI can provide.

The use of these techniques is not limited to a single platform. Tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, You.com, Claude, Meta AI, and Perplexity allow you to experiment and adapt these prompts to explore new forms of interaction with AI. By testing these examples on different platforms, you can discover innovative ways to apply the “Act as” technique to meet your specific needs.

I invite you to try these prompts on your preferred AI and share your discoveries and results. Practice is the best way to understand and fully leverage this technique. Keep exploring, adjusting, and being amazed by the capabilities of artificial intelligence. The journey to unlock the full potential of the “Act as” technique is just beginning.