# Prompt to GPT-3: Step-by-Step Thinking Instructions for Humor Generation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.13195 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.13195/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 6 of its 9 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 22 Jun 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [Language Models are Few-Shot Learners](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.14165/) (2020)
- [Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.11903/) (2022)
- [Pun Generation with Surprise](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.06828/) (2019)
- [Let's be Humorous: Knowledge Enhanced Humor Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2004.13317/) (2020)
- [Witscript 3: A Hybrid AI System for Improvising Jokes in a Conversation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.02695/) (2023)
- [Is This a Joke? Detecting Humor in Spanish Tweets](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1703.09527/) (2017)

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [A Robot Walks into a Bar: Can Language Models Serve as Creativity Support Tools for Comedy? An Evaluation of LLMs' Humour Alignment with Comedians](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.20956/) (2024)
- [Humor Mechanics: Advancing Humor Generation with Multistep Reasoning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.07280/) (2024)
- [The Theater Stage as Laboratory: Review of Real-Time Comedy LLM Systems for Live Performance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.08474/) (2025)
- [Engagement Undermines Safety: How Stereotypes and Toxicity Shape Humor in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.18454/) (2025)
- [Psychology-Driven Enhancement of Humour Translation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.09259/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Artificial intelligence has made significant progress in natural language processing, with models like GPT-3 demonstrating impressive capabilities. However, these models still have limitations when it comes to complex tasks that require an understanding of the user, such as mastering human comedy writing strategies. This paper explores humor generation using GPT-3 by modeling human comedy writing theory and leveraging step-by-step thinking instructions. In addition, we explore the role of cognitive distance in creating humor.