It's the second day of 2025.
Commercial consumer-facing AI has been around for over two years.
Here is a fundamental problem with AI chat.
The default response of most large language model products is usually not the best response.
We would expect AI to give the "best" response, but it often gives a correct, directionally accurate, mediocre answer.
I'll give you a specific example. I am going to use January 2025 Claude Sonnet 3.5, but you could just as easily use the latest ChatGPT or Gemini model and experience something similar.
Here is my query:
How would I break into acting in British Columbia?
I place this in the AI input box and hit return.
I presume that the AI will try and give me the best answer possible to this question.
Here is the response in its entirety:
I'll help you understand the key steps to start an acting career in British Columbia, particularly focusing on Vancouver which is often called "Hollywood North" due to its thriving film industry.
First, I'd recommend getting some foundational training:
Take acting classes at established schools like Vancouver Film School, Vancouver Acting School, or Shoreline Studios
Consider part-time courses at universities like UBC or Studio 58 at Langara College for formal theater training
To build experience and connections:
Join the Union of BC Performers (UBCP/ACTRA) as a permit member. While you don't need to be a member to start, it becomes important as you progress.
Get professional headshots from a reputable photographer who specializes in actor headshots. This is a crucial marketing tool.
Create an acting resume, even if you're starting out. Include any relevant experience like school plays, commercials, or student films.
Sign up with casting websites like Cast Wave, Actor's Access, and Casting Workbook - these are frequently used in BC.
Start auditioning for student films, indie productions, and background work. Vancouver has many film schools whose students need actors for their projects.
Would you like me to elaborate on any of these aspects, particularly about the specific acting schools in BC or the process of joining UBCP/ACTRA?
This response is a minor miracle (isn't it amazing that we can just generate correct, factual, mostly helpful answers like this?).
But something feels — off. I want my extremely smart AI to feel like an extremely smart person. The advice given here doesn't feel particularly smart. In fact, it feels like something someone with no experience in the industry could kind of "make up off the cuff" and have it pass for real advice.
Here is my follow up:
OK, now give me the insanely good, inside knowledge, secret hack version — not the high school counsellor version
Here is the answer:
Ah, now we're talking real industry intel:
Background Performer (BP) work is your backdoor - but not for the obvious reason everyone thinks. Yes, you make money, but the real value is:
You can watch A-list actors work up close
You build relationships with Assistant Directors (ADs) who often become directors/producers
You learn how a real set operates without the pressure of speaking roles
Most importantly: The ADs remember reliable, professional BPs and will sometimes bump them up to small speaking parts
Get a "real" job at a popular industry restaurant/bar in Yaletown or Gastown. Casting directors, directors, and producers frequent specific spots. Being a familiar face who provides great service can lead to opportunities. The networking that happens at places like Cactus Club Coal Harbour or Joey Bentall One is invaluable.
Join smaller theater companies that actually produce shows - not just training programs. Companies like Seven Tyrants or Vital Spark Theatre. The professional theater scene in Vancouver is tightly connected to film/TV, much more than people realize.
Here's something most people don't know: Many of Vancouver's biggest casting directors teach workshops through smaller studios. While you can't technically pay to audition (that's illegal), you can legitimately take these workshops. The relationships built there are priceless.
The Vancouver film industry runs on word-of-mouth and recommendations more than talent or headshots. Build genuine relationships with working actors (not just other aspirants). Every time a lead actor gets a role, they're often asked for suggestions about other parts.
Want me to expand on any of these, particularly the specific casting directors who are known for giving new actors a real shot?
Here is my fundamental complaint: why isn't the first answer more like the second answer, by default.
The current world of prompting presents the user with two challenges, and the second one seems like unnecessary work.
The first challenge is framing the right question, which should be straightforward for most people.
The second challenge is then "deprogramming" the AI to not give a blandly mediocre answer instead of an incisive helpful answer.
Teaching people to prompt engineer the AI to "act like a $10,000/hr architectural consultant", "act like a Tier 1 VC", "act like a world-class nutritionist", "write like David Foster Wallace", "pretend you are a leading Arabic-Amharic translate"—all of this seems tedious.
Why is there so much of prompting that comes down to "remember — don't be mediocre — be great at x". It's like having to remind an operating system to be good at 4k video streaming before you open Netflix or HBO Max, and then reminding it to be good at browsing the web before you open a browser, reminding it to be good at saving battery when you put it to sleep.
This is not a great user experience, even if it feels magical to get the "median answer" rather than the "best answer", every time, in error-free modern General American professional prose.
I predict great things for a foundational model that immediately realizes which persona it should be to give the best possible answer — without having to be engineered.