Data/ML/AITable-stakes
System Prompt
Hidden instructions given to an AI model before a conversation starts, setting its behavior, tone, or constraints, distinct from what the end user types.
Think of it like
Like the standing instructions given to a new employee on day one ('always greet customers formally') that shape how they behave in every conversation after.
Junior or senior?
Junior sounds like
Wrote a system prompt once and forgot about it.
Senior sounds like
Treats it as something to version and test, and can describe how they tested a change to it.
Ask them
“How did you test whether a change to your system prompt actually improved things, versus just feeling different?”