title: "Okay, So I Played Around With That 'Google Engineer' Prompt Agent Thing" date: "2024-07-28" excerpt: "Writing prompts for AI... it's not always easy, is it? Found an agent claiming to be based on a Google tutorial for making better prompts. Had to see what that even means, and if it's genuinely helpful or just another wrapper."
Okay, So I Played Around With That 'Google Engineer' Prompt Agent Thing
Let's be honest. When AI first blew up, writing prompts felt like magic – type something vague, get something... maybe okay? Fast forward a bit, and we're all trying to figure out how to write good prompts for LLMs. It quickly becomes clear that getting useful, specific results from AI takes a bit more than waving a digital wand. It's a skill, or maybe more accurately, an art form that nobody taught us in school.
This is where things like "prompt engineering tools" start popping up. And naturally, my ears perked up when I stumbled across this particular agent, billed as being "based on a Google engineer's prompt tutorial." Now, hold on. "Google engineer"? "Tutorial"? That sounds official, doesn't it? Immediately makes you wonder if they've somehow distilled some internal AI prompt best practices into something usable for the rest of us.
So, I took a look at the page [at the URL you provided]. It's straightforward enough – aimed at helping you churn out higher-quality prompts. The core idea seems to be guiding you through the process, presumably following whatever structure or principles this 'Google' method advocates.
What does that actually look like in practice? Well, without using the agent directly in this context, based on the description, the promise is it takes the guesswork out. Instead of staring at a blank cursor wondering how to articulate exactly what you need from the model, this agent is supposed to walk you through crafting a prompt that's clear, comprehensive, and more likely to yield the output you're after. Think of it like having a slightly opinionated checklist or a fill-in-the-blanks assistant specifically for talking to AI.
Compared to just freestyling, or even reading through generic "prompt tips" articles (and trust me, there are a million of those), the potential value here lies in that claimed structured approach. If the underlying "tutorial" is solid, this isn't just a random prompt generator spitting out examples. It should, in theory, help you understand why a prompt works, guiding you to include necessary context, specify format, define the AI's persona, and maybe even suggest techniques to improve clarity. It might help you go from "write about dogs" to "Act as a friendly vet. Write a 5-paragraph blog post for dog owners about the benefits of daily walks, using encouraging language and mentioning common breeds. Ensure it's suitable for a general audience and ends with a call to action to walk their dog today." See the difference? That's the gap this tool is trying to bridge. It could be useful whether you're generating creative writing prompts or drafting prompts for business use case prompts AI.
The big question always is: Does it really help you write better prompts, or is it just adding an extra step? And does the "Google engineer" part actually mean anything concrete, or is it just marketing flair? My take? The value is likely in its ability to impose structure on your thinking. If you struggle with prompt formulation, especially when trying to get specific results from AI, a tool that forces you to consider key elements systematically could be a significant help. It might not be magic, but applying a tested framework – if that's what this Google tutorial is – could certainly make the process less frustrating and the results more predictable. It's less about the tool writing the prompt for you and more about it guiding you to write a better prompt yourself. And in the messy, often confusing world of talking to language models, a little bit of guided structure can go a long way.