What is PEACE?
PEACE is a modular framework for AI prompting, that helps you get clearer, more useful responses based on proven prompting strategies. It provides a structured approach based on five key principles, while remaining flexible—allowing you to adapt different elements as needed for your specific task.
- P - Politeness → AI works best in a cooperative environment. Being polite sets the tone for better interactions.
- E - Expertise → Defining the AI‘s role helps tailor responses to the right knowledge and tone.
- A - Ask → Vague prompts lead to vague answers. Clear, structured questions lead to actionable responses.
- C - Context → AI lacks situational awareness. The more context you provide, the better the response.
- E - Engage → Give AI the option to ask for more details before answering to reduce misunderstandings.
As a modular framework, PEACE can be used as a whole or adjusted based on your needs. Some tasks benefit from all five principles, while others may require only a few. By using PEACE strategically, you reduce frustration and get faster, higher-quality AI responses.
This site is a free resource to help you learn how to communicate effectively with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. The PEACE AI Framework is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Using the PEACE AI Framework
Table of Contents
P - Politeness
Why Politeness Matters
Politeness isn‘t just about being nice—it helps set the tone for a better interaction with AI. While AI doesn‘t have feelings or preferences, the way you phrase a prompt affects how it generates responses.
Does Being Polite Actually Change AI‘s Behavior?
There‘s no hard proof that AI “responds better” to politeness the way a person would. But many AI models are trained using human feedback, which means responses that sound more structured and cooperative tend to get rated higher. Over time, that kind of training could make AI more likely to produce detailed, thoughtful responses when the interaction feels collaborative rather than demanding.
From my own experience—and a lot of time experimenting with AI—polite, clear, and cooperative prompts consistently lead to better, more useful answers. AI doesn‘t “prefer” politeness, but positive, cooperative prompts often lead to better interactions and results.
Politeness as a Tool
Even if AI doesn‘t care how you talk to it, there‘s another big reason to be polite: it helps you communicate more clearly. AI is a tool, but it‘s also a problem-solving partner in many cases. Treat AI as a collaborator, not just a tool, and you‘ll likely get more structured, relevant responses.
At the end of the day, being polite to AI isn‘t about making AI “feel” anything—it‘s about getting the best possible response. And honestly? The world could use a little more politeness in general.
Example: Before & After
Without PEACE
Summarize this article.
With PEACE
Please summarize this article in 3-5 sentences, focusing on the main argument and key takeaways.
E - Expertise
Why Expertise Framing Matters
AI is a generalist by default. If you don‘t specify the perspective you want it to take, it pulls from a broad knowledge base, which may or may not align with what you need. Establishing content expertise gives AI a focus, helping it generate responses aligned with the correct content area. This also assists in establishing context for your request.
How Expert Prompting Refines AI Responses
Instead of asking AI a broad question, narrow its focus by defining its role first. This significantly improves relevance and detail.
Example: Before & After
Without PEACE
What's the deal with gravity?
With PEACE
Please act as a physicist. Explain gravity to a high school student using simple language and real-world examples.
A - Ask
Vague Prompts Lead to Vague Responses
AI can‘t “guess” what you mean—it generates responses based on what you explicitly state. Unclear prompts lead to unclear, generic, or incorrect answers.
Breaking Down a Question to Reduce Ambiguity
A clear prompt includes:
- What you need (summary, explanation, analysis, comparison, etc.)
- Any specific focus areas or constraints (e.g., "focus on the impact on the economy")
- How detailed it should be (short answer, deep dive, 3-5 bullet points, etc.)
- Any formatting preferences (table, bullet points, paragraphs, etc.)
- For complicated formatting preferences, provide a sample response structure.
Example: Before & After
Without PEACE
Tell me about AI.
With PEACE
Please act as an AI historian. Provide a brief history of artificial intelligence, highlighting key developments from the 1950s to today. If necessary, ask any clarifying questions before proceeding.
Example Response Format:
[Time Period]: [Key AI development][Time Period]: [Key AI development][Time Period]: [Key AI development]
C - Context
Why AI Needs Context
Imagine you are an instructor walking into a biology classroom full of students at a community college. The moment you step in the room, you are instantly aware of numerous details:
- Your location and institution
- The subject being taught
- The number of students
- Their engagement levels
- Academic expectations
- And hundreds of additional details
You gain a deep understanding of the situation by simply walking into the room. Now, imagine AI being thrown into the same situation-AI starts without situational awareness. Unless you provide context, it has no way of understanding the specifics of your request.
How Adding Context Improves AI Responses
By default, AI generates generalized answers because it has no situational awareness. The more relevant context you provide, the more likely it is to generate an accurate and useful response. Including example responses or templates can further improve AI‘s accuracy by giving it a direct model to follow. It takes effort, but well-structured context often leads to the best AI interactions. Context-rich prompts tend to lead to detailed, insightful responses.
Example: Before & After
Without PEACE
Help me write an email.
With PEACE
I am a university professor requesting funding for a highly recognized technology conference. Please draft a professional email to my department chair explaining the cost and academic benefits.
Additional Details:
Conference website: [insert link]Total cost: $2,500 (includes registration, travel, and lodging)Reason for attending: Presenting research and networking with industry professionals
E - Engage
Why Engaging is Important
Despite your best efforts, AI doesn‘t always have enough context. There will still be moments where AI lacks critical details. A useful strategy is to encourage AI to ask clarifying questions before responding.
By allowing AI to ask questions first, you prevent misunderstandings and get more relevant, refined answers in fewer iterations.
Example: Before & After
Without PEACE
Help me write a lesson plan.
With PEACE
Please act as a college curriculum expert and write a lesson plan for an introductory freshman-level economics class. Before responding, please ask any clarifying questions you might have.
Possible Clarifying Questions AI Might Ask
- What is the class format? (lecture, online, hybrid?)
- How many class sessions should the lesson plan cover?
- What specific topics should be included in this lesson?
- Do you have any preferred teaching methods or activities?