Get Smarter with Prompts: Anthropic’s AI Hacks for Work

Prompting with Purpose

Anthropic’s engineers have shared three strategic ways to use AI prompts that can enhance your productivity and problem-solving skills at work. These techniques go beyond simple queries, leveraging structured prompting methods that help users extract more insightful and practical responses. One technique includes asking the AI to simulate the perspective of specific roles—like an executive or industry expert—when framing recommendations. This not only adds nuance but makes the output more tailored to real-world professional scenarios. Another tip involves creating a critique-and-defend dynamic between two simulated personas, fostering a deeper, more analytical exploration of ideas. As AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT continue to become digital collaborators in the workplace, mastering prompt design is quickly becoming a vital skill.

The Power of Prompt Engineering

The article emphasizes that using AI effectively isn’t just about feeding it questions—it’s about designing conversations. Anthropic’s approach encourages users to treat prompts like planning documents, with clear context, goals, and audiences in mind. For example, asking a model to “act as a contrarian” to your business pitch can surface blind spots you might overlook. Likewise, requesting summaries from multiple perspectives, such as “the cautious manager” or “the enthusiastic marketer,” can reveal a wider strategic range. These methods show that prompt engineering is as much a creative process as a technical one. In a time when AI literacy is fast becoming a baseline workplace requirement, these strategies help everyday professionals use AI more intelligently and confidently.