Glossary

Plain-English definitions for terms used in this course

This glossary is intentionally short. It covers only the terms used in this course that might benefit from a brief definition. It is not a comprehensive AI or technical glossary.

Artifact
The thing you are asking AI to create — a document, email, summary, plan, or other output. Distinct from outcome, which is what the artifact is supposed to accomplish.

Constraint
Any instruction that limits or focuses what AI should produce. Examples: word limits, format requirements, topic exclusions, priority rankings. Constraints improve output by reducing the latitude for generic responses.

Context
Background information that helps AI understand the situation an output fits into. Useful context tells AI something it would not otherwise know: the product, the audience, the decision, the history, or the stakes. Context that does not change what AI should write is not useful context.

Drift
The tendency for AI output to wander from the specific request toward more general, broad coverage. Usually caused by open-ended prompts without scope constraints.

First draft
The initial output AI produces from a request. In this course, first drafts are treated as starting points for iteration, not finished products.

Follow-up instruction
A message sent after an initial output that directs AI to make a specific change. More precise and faster than manually rewriting output.

Iteration
The process of improving AI output through multiple rounds of direction and refinement. Iteration is a feature of good AI use, not a sign of a failed initial prompt.

One-shot prompting
Submitting a single request and accepting the first output. Useful for simple, low-stakes tasks. Usually insufficient for complex, important, or nuanced work.

Outcome
What a piece of writing is supposed to accomplish — the decision it should support, the action it should prompt, the understanding it should create. Distinct from artifact, which is just the type of document.

Padding
Words or sentences that take up space without adding new information. Common in AI output when there are no length constraints or quality standards set.

Prompt
The request you submit to AI. A prompt can be a question, a command, or a complete set of instructions. In this course, "prompt" is used broadly to mean any request you make of AI.

Prompt pattern / prompt template
A reusable structure for a recurring type of AI request. Contains fixed instructions that apply every time, plus variable placeholders for the parts that change.

Refinement
The process of improving AI output after the initial draft, either by submitting follow-up instructions or by running additional rounds of targeted direction.

Register
The formality level and social context of writing. A Slack message and a board memo are the same language but different registers. Register is part of tone guidance.

Scope
The defined boundaries of what a request covers. Scope constraints tell AI what is in and what is out of the current task.

Tone
How writing feels — formal or casual, warm or direct, confident or cautious. Tone is set through explicit instruction or example. Distinct from format (organization) and voice (a consistent persona or style over time).