Pentagon Model
Pillar 3: Data
A practical course for building clear and powerful AI prompts
The third pillar is Data — often the line between a professional answer and a guessed one. As in the course template, you tell the AI: "I will give you the following data, text or case…" then place the raw material it will work on: numbers, text, a table, or a case description.
Core principle
The AI does not have your data. Without it, it fills the gap with assumptions — that is where errors are born. Clear data turns the tool from an author into an analyst of your figures.How to provide your data well
- Announce it: start with "Data:" or "The following figures:".
- Separate it visually from the instructions.
- State units and source when needed; do not embellish or omit.
Sharp distinction
Context = "a financing request for a logistics firm". Data = "amount 12M SAR, term 36 months, revenue 28M/31M/35M". The first describes; the second is what gets analyzed.No data
Is this project profitable?With data
Data: cost 500k, expected annual revenue 220k, operating costs 90k. Analyze profitability based only on these figures.Pro tip
Bind the AI to your data: add "rely on these figures only, and state anything missing." This prevents fabrication.
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Ask the Coach
An AI assistant that answers based on this lesson. Ask freely.
🤖 Coach answers are AI-generated; verify important details.
Check Your Understanding (2 questions)
Question 1
You wrote in your prompt: 'Data: the quote has the building items, the wall, and the total.' How would you describe this line?
💡 Why: Listing the items is not copying them. The line carries no 375 m2, no 1,600 SAR/m2, and no 620,800 SAR, so there is nothing in it to analyze. That is why the real reply to it was 32 words asking for the document. It is not Context either. Context describes your own position ('I have not signed yet'), not the content of the document.
Question 2
Which of the two lines is Data: (a) 'I have not signed the contract and paid nothing', or (b) 'Payments: 50% on signing and 50% on handover'?
💡 Why: Data is copied from the document and analyzed as it stands. The sentence 'I have not signed and have not paid' is not written in the quote and holds no number. It is your own situation, which means Context. Sharing the subject of payment does not make the two lines one pillar: the difference lies in source and function, not in subject.
The recommended next step unlocks only after the correct answer, and your progress is saved on this device.