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Logitech's free AI Prompt Builder is surprisingly handy. Here's how I'm using it
When it comes to AI, everyone is suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out). It seems like everyone has to have some sort of AI offering, even if it's not clear why. Into that fomosphere, enter Logitech.
Logitech makes wonderful keyboards and mice. I've been using and recommending their gear for years. The company's Logi Options+ configuration tool has improved over the years, with helpful features including shortcut functions for keys and buttons, a macro builder, and now, an AI prompt builder.
Also: Logitech mouse and keyboard users are getting a free AI upgrade
Ask yourself this: does your keyboard or mouse utility really need an AI prompt builder? Obviously, the answer is no. But, surprisingly for such a random add-on, it doesn't suck and it's actually pretty useful.
Below I'll show you three quick tweaks that will make it even more helpful as part of your day-to-day productivity stack. I'll tell you this. I am incredibly fussy about what I include in the tools I use because I need to wring every ounce of productivity out of every minute. So it means something when I say that I've actually added Logitech's AI Prompt Builder to my kitbag.
Getting started with Logi Options+
This same process will work for a keyboard key, but I mostly use Logi Options+ to customize my mouse interface, so that's what I'll be showing here.
If you don't have Logi Options+, you can download it directly from the Logitech site. As long as you're using Logitech gear, it will work for you.
Also: I tested Lenovo's dual-screen laptop and it improved my productivity in profound ways
The first thing you should do is make sure you're running the latest version of the software. Go ahead and launch Logi Options+
I'm using both a Logitech K810 keyboard (which I fervently wish Logitech would put back into production because the MX Keys feels like a downgrade), and the MX Master 3 (the current version is the MX Master 3S) mouse. I don't use Logi Options+ with my keyboard, but I do rely on it for my mouse.
Go ahead and click the gear icon.
Click "Check for Update". As you can see, I'm running the latest version. You'll need that in order to gain access to the new AI feature.
1. Add AI Prompt Builder to a mouse button
I found that it's quite helpful to have ChatGPT just a mouse click away. To enable that, click on your mouse (or keyboard, if that's what you're configuring). Note that there's an AI button at the top of the screen, if you want to see a little tutorial. We're going to skip that and just get you set up.
As you can see, I have a few buttons already configured. I use the Thumb button, the Top button, and the Forward button all the time. Today, we're going to add ChatGPT to the Back button. Click its little circle.
On the right, you'll see an Actions pane open up. Click on "Open AI Prompt Builder".
That's all you need to do to connect AI Prompt Builder to your mouse. Go ahead and back out of this screen and close Logi Options+. Now, every time you click that button, the AI Prompt Builder window will open up.
We're going to customize that next.
2. Create a recipe to answer anything
When you launch the AI Prompt Builder (probably using the mouse button we just enabled), you'll get this window.
On the left side are a set of recipes, which are essentially pre-written prompts. On the right is your window for providing content. If you select something in your document before hitting the AI button, you'll see that in the "Add text or keywords" area.
Unfortunately, if you don't select any text, the last thing you selected (even if it's completely unrelated to what you're doing) shows up in that space. You can, however, delete it. I think this is a bug Logitech needs to fix.
Also: ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Plus: Is it worth the subscription fee?
As you can see, you can also specify the length of the response and the style.
You get four pre-canned recipes that are pretty helpful. Logitech also allows you to add two more of your own. One capability that's glaringly missing from the established set of recipes is the ability to feed ChatGPT a prompt. So that's what we're going to add.
First, click the plus icon.
This will put you into the recipe editor. Give the recipe a name (shown at 1). I called mine "Prompt".
Then, enter the prompt you want ChatGPT to process in the Prompts field (shown at 2). To create a general-purpose prompt processor, I told the AI Prompt Builder to feed ChatGPT the following prompt:
Process the following text as a ChatGPT prompt
That works by telling ChatGPT that whatever it's asked next is the prompt itself, and that it should process it without additional instructions.
Hit Save, and you're ready to go. Now, when you hit your mouse button and launch the AI Builder, you can run a prompt and immediately get a result.
3. Launch using your ChatGPT Pro profile
If you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, you can link AI Prompt Builder to your account. This will give you access to the more advanced large language models, web searches, and your existing profile.
To do this, open the AI Profile Builder and click the Gear icon.
This gives you the AI Prompt Builder's settings page. Notice the option to "Log into ChatGPT". Click it.
This will give you a mini ChatGPT browser window. At the top, you can see the LLM being used is ChatGPT 3.5. To log in, you'll need to open the sidebar, which is represented by the tiny chevron on the left. Click it.
Now, go ahead and click "Log in", and log in.
Now, if you give AI Prompt Builder a prompt, as I did using the new Prompt recipe, it can use either ChatGPT 3.5 or 4. To switch to ChatGPT 4, click the version number at the top of the screen.
Also notice the little ID number next to the small blue arrow. I have a ChatGPT configuration instruction in my profile that asks ChatGPT to index all of its responses. Once I logged in within the AI Prompt Builder, those instructions transferred over to this new interface.
It's a helpful, free, useful tool
What's not to like?
Overall, I'm quite happy with the AI Prompt Builder. It's entirely unnecessary when it comes to what mouse or keyboard I might choose. Yesterday, before it became available, it wasn't something I would have thought I needed.
Also: How to write better ChatGPT prompts in 5 steps
But it's a very nice implementation, with just enough flexibility to allow me to do a few of my most common ChatGPT activities, and it connects into my active account. Other than the minor bug I mentioned above (and this is day one of the release, so what do you expect?), this little tool kind of rocks.
What about you? Are you a Logitech input device owner? Will you be downloading and enabling the AI Prompt Builder? Do you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly update newsletter, and follow me on Twitter/X at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.