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Teach Your AI Who You Are
35-45 minutesBest for: People who have an AI account (a free one is fine) and are tired of explaining themselves from scratch in every new chat
What You'll Do
Save a short profile in your AI assistant's settings so it knows what you do and how you like answers written. You'll need a free account with at least one AI assistant, a computer (the settings pages are hard to find on a phone), and the two files below.
Right now, every new AI conversation starts from zero. The AI doesn't know what you do, how you like answers written, or what you care about. You can fix that once by saving a short profile in your AI assistant's settings. After that, the assistant reads it at the start of every new chat.
You won't write the profile alone. Remember the "interview" prompt from class, where the AI asked questions before writing the packing list? Same idea. You'll upload a file that tells the AI to interview you, one question at a time, and then hand you a short block of text to paste into your settings.
The Two Files
Download both before you start:
These open in any text editor. If you can't upload them to your chatbot, open one, copy everything, and paste it into the chat.
What each file is for:
- •01-why-this-matters.md (a short welcome that explains what you're setting up)
- •02-custom-instructions-interview.md (runs the ten-question interview)
4Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Choose the AI assistant you plan to use most and sign in. Free plans work.
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com
Claude: https://claude.ai
Gemini: https://gemini.google.com
2. Download both files from this page to your computer (your Downloads folder is fine).
3. Start a new chat and attach the first file, 01-why-this-matters.md. Look for a + button, a paperclip, or an "attach" option next to the message box. Dragging the file into the chat window also works.
4. Send the starter message below along with the file.
5. Chat through the welcome. The assistant will explain what you're about to do and answer any questions. When you're ready, it will tell you to start the next step.
6. Open a new chat and attach the second file, 02-custom-instructions-interview.md. Send the same starter message.
7. Answer the ten questions. One question at a time, plain sentences, like you're talking to a new coworker. "Not sure" is a fine answer.
8. Review the draft profile. The assistant will show you a short profile and ask what's off. Tell it what to change.
9. Paste it into your settings. The assistant will walk you to the right settings page for your assistant, one step at a time.
10. Test it. Open a brand new chat and ask something you'd really ask in a normal week. Come back to the interview chat and tell the assistant how it went.
Starter Message (use with each file)
Prompt - Copy and paste this:
I just attached a document. Please read it and follow the instructions inside it.
What to Expect
- •The assistant will put a small marker like "(3 of 10)" at the start of each question so you can see your progress.
- •It asks one question at a time. It should wait for your answer before moving on.
- •The profile it writes is short, usually around 250 words or fewer. Some free plans cap this settings box at 1,500 characters, so shorter is on purpose.
- •Saving it takes a few clicks in your settings. The assistant will help you find them.
- •The first answer you get afterward may not look dramatically different. Look for small things, like length, tone, and whether it already knows what you do.
Tips
- •If the file won't upload: Open it in any text editor (Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac), copy everything, and paste it into the chat as your first message. That works the same way.
- •If the assistant asks several questions at once or jumps ahead: Say "One question at a time, please." It will adjust.
- •If your settings page looks different from what the assistant describes: Trust your screen. Tell the assistant what you see, or attach a screenshot, and it can help you find the closest match. Menus change often.
- •Keep private details out of the profile. Passwords, account numbers, health or financial details, and private information about other people don't belong in these settings. They're read at the start of every chat and stored by the company that makes the assistant. The assistant should leave them out and tell you why.
- •If you're on a work or school account: Some settings may be missing or controlled by your organization. Try a personal account instead.
- •Instructions are different from memory. Some assistants also build up "memory" from your chats on their own. What you save here is what you wrote, so you decide exactly what's in it and can change it any time.
8Go Further
Once it's working on one assistant, paste the same profile into a second one (ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini) and ask both the same everyday question. Notice how each one uses what you told it.
9Saving Your Work
Copy your final profile text and paste it into a note or document on your computer. If you ever switch assistants or want to edit it later, you'll have it ready.
General Tips for All Tasks
Saving Your Conversation (All Tasks):
- •If you're signed in to your account, your chats are saved automatically and show up in the history list (usually along the left side of the screen). You can come back to them any time.
- •ChatGPT: Your chat appears in the left sidebar. Click the three dots next to a chat to rename it or share it.
- •Claude: Your chat appears under your recent chats in the left sidebar. Click the chat's title at the top to rename it.
- •Gemini: Your chat appears in the left menu under recent chats. Click the three dots next to a chat to rename or pin it.
- •Not signed in? The chat may disappear when you close the page. Select the text you want to keep, copy it, and paste it into a document before you leave.
- •Menus move around, so if you don't see these options, look for a three-dot menu next to the chat.
Getting Unstuck:
- •If AI gives you an unhelpful response, try rephrasing your question
- •Add more details or context
- •Ask it to try again with specific changes
Technical Issues:
- •If the AI tool isn't loading, try refreshing the page or switching to a different tool
- •Make sure you're connected to wifi
- •Ask Connor for help!
Remember:
- •There's no "wrong" way to do this
- •Experimentation is encouraged
- •You can switch tasks if you want to try something different
- •AI makes mistakes - use your judgment
What to Bring Next Week (Optional)
- •If you had an interesting conversation, be ready to share what you learned
- •Bring questions about AI that came up while you were experimenting
- •If something didn't work well, we can troubleshoot together