Genius in a room 

by X | @rali2100 - Linkedin|R Ali

Created 2023-05. Last edited 2023-11 

In the "genius in a room" model, a genius is a knowledgeable person in a room with a closed door. They know a lot and can develop creative ideas, but they don't know what you are thinking. You need to give them enough information for them to understand you.

This means that when developing prompts for large language modules (LLM), it is important to be as clear and concise as possible. You should provide the genius with as much information as they need to understand what you are asking for.

The metaphor helps to explain the vast knowledge of LLM like Bard & Chatgpt but its limited potential for empathy. For the genius to gain a deep understanding of your needs, you need to help them using natural language prompts. 

The image below illustrates what could help the genius in the room understand your perspective so that they can help to deliver best results. The input, process and output contain both enablers and contraints. 

What is interesting about this metaphor is how it can help us understand the role of LLMs in the design thinking process. In addition, it helps the person reflect on what they are doing. 

Here are some other related areas. 

• Crafting prompts includes thinking through the questions you are thinking about. 

• This model could help us to be more critical and creative.

• ''What key information does this genius need and what am I trying to achieve?''

• This makes us think about how we 'Teach' others about our goals.

• It helps you to slow down and be more purposeful.

• There is a sense of playfulness, experimentation and risk-free which builds on psychological safety