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Practical advice
Ask AI to question you before it answers
A simple way to expose missing context before an AI produces a confident answer built on assumptions.
The practical answer
Start with this principle
When a task has several moving parts, ask the AI to identify the information it needs before doing the work. Answering a few focused questions is usually quicker than correcting a confident but unsuitable draft.
Do this in order
Three steps you can use today
Explain the intended decision
Tell the AI what you are trying to decide or produce, not only the topic. This helps it ask questions that affect the result.
Limit the first round
Ask for the five most important questions first. A short, prioritised list is easier to answer than a long interview.
Confirm the brief
After answering, ask the AI to summarise its understanding in a few lines. Correct that summary before it starts the main task.
Copy and adapt
Add this to an important prompt
Before you start, ask me up to five questions that would materially change the answer. Then summarise the agreed brief and wait for me to confirm it.