Force AI to separate observations from interpretations…
Before prompting AI to analyze meeting transcripts or documents, explicitly request separated outputs: first section lists only observable facts without interpretation, second section offers interpretations of those observations.
When This Fires
- Using AI to summarize meeting transcripts or recordings
- Asking AI to analyze customer feedback, survey responses, or interview data
- Processing any document where distinguishing "what happened" from "what it means" matters
- Reviewing AI analysis before making decisions based on it
Common Failure Mode
Accepting AI "key takeaways" that blend facts and inferences into a single bullet list. "The client is unhappy with the timeline" — is that an observation (they said so explicitly) or an interpretation (the model inferred it from tone)? Without separation, you can't tell, and you'll act on the interpretation as if it were fact.
The Protocol
Structure every analytical AI prompt with: "Analyze this [transcript/document]. Output two clearly labeled sections: OBSERVATIONS (only what is directly stated or objectively present — no inference) and INTERPRETATIONS (your analysis of what the observations might mean, with reasoning)." Review the observations first for completeness and accuracy before reading the interpretations.