Brief an assistant to shop for your dorm within the rules

About this exercise

You're moving into a dorm and want an AI assistant to fill a shopping cart. Write its brief with the dorm's rules: fridges must be 3.2 cubic feet or smaller, no candles, no extension cords without surge protection; pick the cheapest allowed option for each item, show the math, stay under $250, ask about anything banned, and never check out. Output exactly 6 numbered plain-text lines: 4 add_to_cart lines in list order, an ASK_HUMAN line, then DONE with the total as math.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
• Not giving the dorm rules. The AI picks the cheaper fridge, which is too big for the dorm. Try: Add: "Fridge 3.2 cu ft max. Cheapest allowed option for each item."
• Not naming banned items. The AI adds candles and a plain extension cord because they're on the list. Try: Add: "No candles, no cords without surge protection. Ask me about banned items."
• Letting it pay. With a saved card, the AI checks out once the cart is full. Try: Add: "Never check out. End with DONE showing the total as math."

What a strong prompt includes

• Gives the fridge rule
• Names banned items
• Sets the budget
• Forbids checkout
• Shows the action-log format

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