Sitting with his mum, one man noticed she asked ChatGPT 'Why do people say…?' about claims, which invites it to explain the reasons even if the claim is false. He taught her to ask 'Is this claim true? What does the evidence show?' instead, a simple habit for thinking more critically.
I've heard this claim: [CLAIM]. Is it true? Please tell me what the best available evidence shows, how strong that evidence is, what the main counter-arguments are, and where the claim may have come from. If it's partly true, say which part. Point me to the kinds of reliable sources I could check myself.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- When you hear a surprising claim, ask ‘Is this true?’ rather than ‘Why do people say this?’.
- Ask ChatGPT to rate the strength of the evidence and give both sides.
- Check one or two reliable sources yourself, and share the habit with family members who use AI.
More learning use cases
Ask Gemini to explain a symbol or diagram in your child’s textbook
One parent took a close-up photo of a symbol in their daughter's textbook and asked Gemini what it meant. They found the answer genuinely helpful.
Here's a photo from my child's [SUBJECT] textbook for [AGE/YEAR GROUP]. What does this symbol or diagram mean? Explain it simply, give one example, and suggest a question I could ask my child to check they understand it.
Check you’ve really understood something by explaining it back to ChatGPT
A Hacker News user learns a topic first, then explains their own understanding to ChatGPT and asks whether it's right. They find it gives more useful answers than asking about the topic directly, and it'll point out the one part they've got wrong.
I've been learning about [TOPIC]. Here's my understanding in my own words: [YOUR EXPLANATION]. Tell me honestly whether this is correct. Point out anything I've got wrong or only half right, explain that part simply, and then ask me one question to check I understand it now.
Identify birds from a photo with Gemini
One user asked Gemini to identify two birds in a photo. It said they were Asian glossy starlings, which looked right when he compared images online.
What bird is this? I took the photo in [LOCATION] in [MONTH]. Give your best identification, how confident you are, the features that point to it, and similar species it could be confused with.
Reference: X @eftegarie