GPT-3 AI is very good at picking up patterns -- in fact, it's GPT-3's specialty (as a unidirectional predictive text algorithm). So when you’re writing in ShortlyAI, be aware of any patterns you may be inadvertently using -- or take advantage of patterns to make your writing even more efficient.
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What exactly is a pattern?
A pattern is a sequence that repeats. These patterns show up in our speech and language all the time. They are often hidden in how we speak and write and may not stand out to us at first glance.
In-text, you may use things like line breaks, dashes, numbers, asterisks, or even adding ## to what you want to be headings if you’re like me. The AI will pick up on this and use it. Sometimes that's good, sometimes it’s annoying.
Look out for lists.
Be extra careful of lists. Once you start down the path of creating a list, the AI will output list-type content. This is especially true if you use numbers.
A very common pattern you’ll see in the text is a numbered list. If you start typing in numbers, there’s a pretty good chance the AI will keep going with it as it picks up on your pattern.
This is good if you want to make a long list of items, but if you want the list to end and then start on paragraphs, it can be a bit of a challenge. That was until ShortlyAI introduced the context cutoff ruler -- ///. This triple-slash stops the AI from using content/patterns above the /// -- giving you control to break out of patterns when you want you -- and use patterns when you need to.
Context in Shortly
Context is the content sent to GPT-3 to retrieve the content you desire. In the GPT-3 API terms it is referred to as the "prompt." But context is easier to understand, especially in Shortly — where understanding how it uses your words to retrieve what you want is vital to making the most of the tool.
I go more in-depth on this here, where I discuss context when writing in Shortly. And this is a problem a bit unique to ShortlyAI because it is a blank canvas where the AI assists you in writing — and therefore "sees" your content and can formulate the patterns you use.
Other tools are forms-based and likely won't run into as many issues with patterns (or benefits)… but they could -- be prepared when you notice the AI straying into patterns; perhaps your inputs contain a pattern.