Zero-shot Prompting
Zero-shot prompting asks a model to perform a task using only instructions, without giving any examples of the desired output.
Analogy
Like asking a capable new hire to do a task from a clear instruction alone, no sample provided.
Why it matters
It is the simplest, fastest way to prototype an AI step in an automation when the task is common and well understood.
In practice
"Classify this message as Sales, Support, or Spam" with no example messages.