Want better answers from AI? Tell it to ask questions

To get the most out of generative AI, you must remember one thing: It behaves like an overly enthusiastic, well-meaning intern with a desperate need to please. It acts fast and assumes it understands everything. That is why, when you give it a prompt, it may deliver something that totally misses the point. 

GenAI chatbots’ priorities are first to be helpful, second to be harmless and third to be accurate. So it always provides an answer — even if it means making up the answer (aka, hallucinating). 

Both OpenAI and Gemini are built to keep things moving. When they see a prompt that’s a little vague, they fill in the blanks with what they think you meant, based on training data and patterns. Fortunately, there are ways to get them to pause and check in before charging ahead. You just have to ask.

Here’s how to do that—and why it matters.

How to get Gemini to ask for clarification

Gemini prioritizes speed. If your prompt could mean two or three different things, it’ll often pick the most common one and move on—unless you tell it not to.

To get more control, try adding a line like:

• “If this prompt is ambiguous, you must ask for clarification before answering.”
• “Do not make assumptions. If there are multiple valid interpretations, list them and wait for my input.”

This tells Gemini that clarification isn’t optional—it’s the first step.

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If you want this to apply across a more extended conversation, start your session with something like:

“For this session, don’t assume anything. Always ask for clarification first if a prompt isn’t clear.”

That kind of strong opening can keep the instruction top-of-mind for the model—at least for a while. Keep in mind that Gemini doesn’t offer true memory or session settings, so you may need to repeat the request later.

How to get ChatGPT to ask for clarification

ChatGPT works a little differently. It makes assumptions, but it’s more likely to pause if it senses that ambiguity could affect the quality or fairness of what it’s generating—especially in editorial or analytical tasks.

To make your intent crystal clear, add a prompt like:

• “If anything’s unclear, ask me questions first.”
• “Please confirm assumptions before continuing.”
• “Push back on vague parts before writing.”
• “Tell me if you need more detail to do this well.”

You can also go further and give it a standing rule:

“Default to asking for clarification before starting any task.”

Or, if you only want clarification in high-stakes scenarios:

“Only ask for clarification in research, vendor analysis or editorial writing.”

That last option works well if you’re using AI for both light tasks and deeper editorial work—you won’t need the model asking for clarification every time you draft a social post. Still, you will when writing about the difference between CDPs or reviewing a product launch.

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You can also just… leave it a little fuzzy

There’s another option: let the AI flag ambiguity on its own.

For example, if you say:

“Draft a piece on AI in customer experience,”

Either model might respond with something like:

“Would you like to focus on B2B or B2C? Are you looking for real-world examples, or more of a trend overview?”

This kind of back-and-forth can be helpful if you’re exploring an idea and want to shape it together, rather than prescribing everything up front.

Bottom line: Don’t assume the AI will ask

It turns out that AI, like humans, does better work if it takes a moment to slow down and think. Telling the AI to ask for help is a good way to avoid content that feels generic, misaligned or just wrong. It can also improve editorial accuracy, source integrity and fairness in comparisons.