GPT-5 Prompts:
Get the Most Out of the Smartest AI Yet

I need to make a decision about [decision]. Before giving me a recommendation, I want you to: 1. Identify the 3-5 most important factors to consider 2. For each factor, argue BOTH why it favors each option 3. Identify what assumptions I might be making that could be wrong 4. Point out what information I don't have that would change the decision 5. Then give me your actual recommendation with reasoning Don't give me a balanced "it depends" answer, commit to a recommendation while acknowledging the uncertainty.

I'm researching [topic] and I've encountered conflicting views. Help me build a clear mental model by: 1. Mapping out the main schools of thought (not just "two sides") 2. Identifying what each group ACTUALLY disagrees about (often it's about values or empirical facts, not the same thing) 3. Finding where there IS consensus that people don't realize 4. Pointing out which claims are empirically testable vs. value judgments 5. Giving me a synthesis that integrates the strongest points from each view Be willing to say when one side has stronger evidence.

I'm planning to [project/decision/launch]. Before I commit, run a pre-mortem: Assume it's 12 months from now and this has failed. What are the top 5 most likely reasons it failed? For each failure mode: - How likely is it (1-10)? - What early warning signs would show up first? - What could I do now to prevent it or reduce impact? Then tell me which 2 failure modes I should be most worried about and why. End with the one thing that would most increase my odds of success.

[Upload the chart/graph image] Analyze this chart. Tell me: 1. What is the main story this data is telling? 2. What trends or patterns stand out? 3. What's the most surprising or counterintuitive thing in this data? 4. What questions does this raise that the chart doesn't answer? 5. If I were presenting this to an executive, what 2-3 bullet points would I lead with? Then help me write a clear 2-sentence takeaway I could put in a report.

[Upload the document/PDF/screenshot] Read this document and give me: 1. The 3 most important things I need to know (the things I'd regret missing) 2. Any claims or numbers that seem off or worth verifying 3. Action items that are implicit but not explicitly called out 4. What's NOT in this document that you'd expect to be there 5. A one-paragraph executive summary I could send to someone who won't read it Flag anything that seems ambiguous or contradictory.

[Upload a screenshot of the error or broken UI] I'm seeing this issue. Please: 1. Identify what's going wrong from the screenshot 2. List the most likely causes in order of probability 3. Suggest the debugging steps I should take to confirm the cause 4. Give me the fix for the most likely cause 5. Tell me how to prevent this class of issue in the future If you can't determine the cause from the screenshot alone, tell me exactly what additional information would help.

Research [topic] thoroughly. I need a comprehensive briefing that covers: 1. The current state of the field (key facts, numbers, major players) 2. Recent developments in the last 6-12 months 3. The main debates or unresolved questions 4. What the experts say vs. what the popular narrative is 5. The 5 most useful sources I should read if I want to go deeper Cite your sources for any specific claims. Flag anything where sources disagree. Give me your own synthesis at the end.

[Upload your data file or paste your data] Analyze this dataset. Please: 1. Give me a summary of what's in the data (shape, key variables, any obvious quality issues) 2. Identify the 3 most interesting patterns or trends 3. Create a visualization that best shows the key insight 4. Run the relevant statistical tests to confirm whether the patterns are significant 5. Write a 3-sentence interpretation a non-technical stakeholder could understand Tell me if there's anything in the data that looks like it might be an error or outlier I should check.