Posts

Review a Transcript Without Inventing Words the Speaker Did Not Say

An automated transcript is a working text, not a perfect record of speech. When a word is unclear, the most fluent completion may be wrong. Review the audio where permitted and preserve uncertainty rather than silently rewriting the speaker's meaning. Set up the example Begin with a short segment whose use is authorised. Keep timestamps for uncertain passages. Check names, technical terms, numbers and negations first because a small change in those places can alter the meaning of an otherwise readable sentence. Create a correction list containing timestamp, original transcription, proposed correction and confidence note. Listen to the relevant passage with its surrounding sentence. If the audio remains unclear, use an uncertainty marker or seek clarification rather than selecting the word that fits your preferred interpretation. Review before using the result Separate verbatim transcription from edited reading copy. Removing repeated words or rearranging sentences may improve reada...

Preserve Units When AI Turns Notes Into a Table

A table can make inconsistent notes look comparable even when their values describe different things. Before using AI to structure the notes, identify the unit and meaning of each field. Keep missing information visible instead of filling every cell. Set up the example For a fictional equipment comparison, one note might describe storage in gigabytes and another describe a monthly transfer allowance. Those numbers should not share a column called Capacity. Define separate fields and record the original wording beside any normalised label. Ask the assistant to copy values and units exactly, using Unknown when a unit is absent. Do not ask it to convert unfamiliar measurements in the same extraction step. Separating extraction from calculation makes it easier to locate a mistake. Review before using the result Inspect a sample from each source, plus every unusual or blank value. Check decimal separators, ranges and whether a value is a maximum, a typical figure or a minimum requirement. A...

Ask for Page References in an AI PDF Summary and Then Check Them

A summary becomes easier to check when its claims point to specific places in the source. Ask for a page or section reference beside each important point. Then verify those references yourself; a page number printed by an assistant is a claim too. Set up the example Start by establishing which numbering system you will use. A PDF viewer's page twelve may contain a printed page numbered nine. Record both when the distinction matters. Use a short public or fictional document for the first trial and keep the original file unchanged. Request a table with Claim, Supporting passage and Page reference. Instruct the assistant to mark absent information as not found. If the task concerns a narrow question, specify it rather than asking for a general summary that may bury the relevant limitation. Review before using the result Open each cited location and read the surrounding paragraph. Check qualifiers, exceptions and whether the source is describing a proposal, a result or a prediction. Do...

Check AI-Extracted Text Before Using It as a Record

Image
AI-generated illustration; not evidence of a real document, venue, product test or result. Text extracted from a scan should be treated as a draft until it has been compared with the image. The risky parts are often small: a missing minus sign, a swapped character or a heading attached to the wrong paragraph. Start with a fictional sample when testing a new workflow. Set up the example Keep the original image visible beside the extracted text. Review names, identifiers, dates, units and totals separately from ordinary prose. A line that looks grammatical may still contain a wrong reference number. Do not silently correct an unfamiliar name from memory. Preserve layout relationships. If the image has two columns, check that the output did not alternate unrelated lines. For a table, confirm which heading belongs to each value. Mark illegible text as uncertain rather than asking the assistant to produce its most plausible completion. Review before using the result Use a simple issue list:...

Keep a Prompt Version Log That Explains What Changed

Image
AI-generated illustration; not evidence of a real document, venue, product test or result. A folder full of prompts named final and final-new does not explain why one version works better. Keep a small version log beside a repeatable task. Each entry needs the input example, the changed instruction and the observed result. Set up the example Start with one fictional task, such as extracting owner and deadline from a meeting note. Save the first prompt exactly as used. Record its output and one concrete failure: perhaps a proposed date became a firm deadline. Do not replace the old result when you revise the instructions. Change only the instruction responsible for the failure. Add “Keep proposed dates tentative” and rerun the same input. Include an ordinary example and a missing-date example so the fix is checked against more than one sentence. Review before using the result Write the result plainly: version two preserved the tentative date in these three examples. Avoid “100 percent a...

Write an AI Image Brief That Cannot Be Mistaken for Evidence

Image
AI-generated illustration; not evidence of a real document, venue, product test or result. An attractive generated image can communicate a concept without documenting a real event. Make that distinction part of the brief before you generate anything. Begin with the reader's takeaway, the intended placement and the claim the image is allowed to make. Set up the example For a fictional article about organising a desk, request an illustrative workspace with three labelled zones. Specify which objects matter, where text will appear and what must remain legible at thumbnail size. Avoid describing the picture as a photograph of a tested setup when no such test took place. Review relationships before decoration. Are cables connected to plausible ports? Does a hand have a coherent grip? Is the displayed chart real data or decorative geometry? Remove unsupported measurements, invented logos and fake interface text that could imply a product feature. Review before using the result Write the ...

Review an AI-Written Product Comparison Without Inventing Features

A comparison table can look authoritative because every cell is filled. Empty cells are often more honest when the evidence is incomplete. Build the table from inspected sources and keep your judgement separate from the product facts. Choose criteria before collecting claims Write down the reader's task and three relevant criteria, such as supported input types, export requirements and account restrictions. Avoid a long feature list that has no connection to the reader's decision. Use the same definition for every candidate. For a fictional pair of note-taking tools, one source might confirm PDF export while another says only “Export your notes.” The second statement does not establish PDF support. Mark the specific format as unverified until the vendor documents it or an authorised test confirms it. Attach evidence to each cell Record the source URL, the wording that supports the claim and the date you checked it. Specify edition or platform restrictions. If a trial exposes on...