5.1 | From pre-prompted to individual assistants

What this module is about

You will learn:

  • when custom assistants are useful
  • the technical background of pre-built assistants (system prompts)
  • how to develop your own prompts for recurring tasks (see Module 4.2)

1. Introduction: From User to Creator

In the xpand AI Academy, we are on a journey together:

Explorer Level You use pre-prompted assistants on the xpand platform—intuitive, secure, without prior knowledge.

Navigator Level You can also directly access language models like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. For this, you prompt independently, controlling the style, structure, and direction of the output.

Now comes the next stage: prototyping. You learn how to develop your own instructions for assistants—for recurring tasks, in the right style, with a clear structure. These custom assistants can be saved and used multiple times.

Ambassador Outlook Here, we go into more technical depth: complete assistants with system prompts, possibly a vector database, and independent information processing.

2. Understanding System Prompts

What are custom assistants?

Custom assistants are individually defined AI applications that you create with a well-thought-out prompt. They take on a clearly defined task, always in the same style, with clear rules—for example, creating social media posts, drafting outlines, or formulating emails.

You define what this assistant should be able to do yourself—and set it up so that it permanently supports you in your work context.

What is the technical background?

Every assistant is based on a system prompt—that is, an internal, invisible instruction that determines how the model „ticks.“ When you prompt yourself, you can consciously build this instruction and thus take control of the tone, structure, and task.

3. When Custom Assistants are Worthwhile

Pre-built assistants are ideal for:

  • Recurring, simple tasks
  • Time pressure and fast work
  • Standard tasks with clear specifications

Custom assistants are worthwhile when:

  • you need more control over tone, style, or content
  • you want to map your task structure individually
  • you don’t want to write the prompt from scratch every time
  • you want to work more efficiently in the long run

4. Your Next Step

In Module 5.2, you will learn how to formulate your own assistant instruction step by step. This will lay the foundation for personalized, reusable AI support in your daily work.

Your Takeaway

  • As a Navigator, you will learn the next level of AI use: creating your own, reusable assistants
  • Custom assistants are based on system prompts that specifically control the AI’s behavior
  • The added value lies in more control, individualization, and long-term efficiency
  • In the next module, you will learn how to formulate your own assistant instructions step by step