Pam Baker, Contributing WriterFebruary 13, 20255 Min ReadZoonar GmbH via AlamyThis year comes packed with challenges from rising inflation and layoffs to fake job announcements, ungodly long job interviews, and hiring delays. One way to help you land a promotion, possibly avoid a layoff, or rise to the head of the line of job candidates is to improve your AI skills.To help you with that, here are several ways to use a phone picture as a prompt for AI models and apps like ChatGPT and Claude. Yes, phone pics can be used as prompts. Quick as a camera click, youre prompting like a pro!This information is drawn from my newest LinkedIn Learning online course Become a GenAI Power Prompter and Content Designer and my newest book Generative AI for Dummies, which was published last October.1. How to use a phone photo in an AI promptChatGPT and Claude will both allow you to attach files to your prompt. You do that by clicking on the paper clip icon beneath the prompt bar. Then select one or more files on your device that you want to attach to the prompt. In this case that will be the photo stored on your device that you want to include in your prompt.Most people think of attaching only text, CSV files, and spreadsheets to a prompt. Those can be very helpful too in getting great and highly targeted responses from AI. But few realize that these models can extract information from photos too.Related:Some of ChatGPT and Claudes competitors may be able to use photo data too, but for the purpose of illustrating this prompting tip, lets just stick to these two AI chatbots for now.2. What kind of phone pic makes a good prompt for AI?The short answer is that a photo of anything containing text about something you want to know more about or that contains information that you want the AI to build upon, is a good photo to use in a prompt.Choose a photo from your phones picture gallery and ask yourself what information does it contain that can be useful in a prompt for AI? Here are a few photo examples for you to consider what useful data they contain and what use that info may have for you. (Youll have to move on to other tips below for the answers. But do this exercise first).A phone pic of a slide that a keynote speaker is talking about in real timeA photo of a handwritten note you made on a napkin while chatting with other conference attendees about a business idea at the hotel bar one nightA photo of a page from a bookA photo of a broken machine part with information like model number, make, brand, etc.3. Pop-up info from a keynote speakers slide in real timeRelated:Speakers, good ones anyway, limit each of their slides to three or fewer bullet points. You might want to know more in order to follow the speakers presentation better. Take a quick phone pic of the slide on stage, attach it to the prompt bar in the ChatGPT mobile app and type your question or instruction in the prompt bar. An example is below. Voila! Instant popup information during the speakers speech!Example prompt: Extract the text from this pic and briefly explain the information in the second bullet point.4. From a handwritten note on a napkin to a bankable business planEvery seasoned pro knows they often get as much out of networking at a conference as they do from the presentations, speeches, and breakout sessions. Now you can get even more value from networking over lunch, at a mixer, or over drinks at the hotel bar.Suppose someone mentions an idea to you that you want to explore further, but you dont want to rudely pull out your phone to make yourself a note. Jot it down on a napkin, or whatever paper or material is handy. Yes, any handwritten note will do. Stick that note in your pocket. Later, perhaps back in your hotel room, use your phone to take a photo of your note. You can then attach it to a prompt for ChatGPT or Claude in a mobile or desktop app at your convenience.Related:Heres an example prompt to write along with that photo attachment: Build a business plan from the information you extract from the attached photo.5. Understand complex information by taking a picture of a page in a bookYouve heard quantum computing is a looming threat to cyber security and a serious boost to AI capabilities. Youve also heard year after year that *this* is the year quantum computing gets real. But you want to know more than the marketing hype. You want to know what quantum computing actually is and how far it has actually progressed.Take a picture or a screenshot from a scientific paper or a book and use it as an attachment to a prompt to get ChatGPT or Claude to translate complex information into terms you can better understand. Now you know what you need to know.6. Replace or fix a broken machine part at work using a phone pic and AISo here you are in a datacenter doing routine maintenance on hardware. You discover a loose or broken part on a cooling system or a server or something. Now you need to report it to whoever is in charge of ordering parts or vendor repair visits. But heck, youre not quite sure what to call that part or what info you need to request a replacement.Or maybe you are in your office and your desk chair sinks when you sit in it even after you raise it up again and again. Imagine that whatever machine or furniture or tool that youre working with or on poses a mystery to solve.Take a photo of it and prompt ChatGPT or Claude to identify it. This generally works best if the broken piece or the larger item has identifying text on it such as a brand name or make, a year, and/or a serial or part number on it. Take a photo that includes that information. If the AI cannot identify the part from a photo without text, try prompting it in text only to identify all parts of whatever the larger item is. You may be able to identify the part from the descriptions the Ai provides.About the AuthorPam BakerContributing WriterA prolific writer and analyst, Pam Baker's published work appears in many leading publications. She's also the author of several books, the most recent of which are "Decision Intelligence for Dummies" and "ChatGPT For Dummies." Baker is also a popular speaker at technology conferences and a member of the National Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, and the Internet Press Guild.See more from Pam BakerNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports