Long documents take time to read. AI can create a first summary so you know what matters, but you should still check important details in the original text.
Basic Summary Prompts
- “Summarise this text in five bullet points for a busy reader: [text].”
- “Give me a one-paragraph summary and a list of action items from these meeting notes.”
- “Explain this report as if I am new to the topic, in under 200 words.”
Focused Summary Prompts
- “List every deadline, number, and name of a responsible team mentioned in this document.”
- “What are the main arguments for and against in this article?”
- “Which parts of this policy affect small businesses specifically?”
Checking Accuracy
- “Quote the exact sentence from the text that supports each bullet point.”
- “What important information might this summary have left out?”
Do not paste confidential contracts or personal data into public AI tools. Use approved tools at work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can AI summarise a full book?
Paste it in chapters and summarise each, then ask for an overall summary.
Are AI summaries reliable?
They are usually helpful, but can miss nuance. Ask for supporting quotes to verify.
Conclusion
Use summary prompts to save time, and use the verification prompts to make sure nothing important is lost.
