Article
Make the Assumptions Visible
An AI answer can be logically sound and still begin from the wrong premise.
Before accepting an important response, ask the AI to list the assumptions it made about your objective, context, constraints, and missing information.
Try:
“Before finalizing your answer, list the assumptions you made. Mark which ones came from my instructions, which ones you inferred, and which ones still need confirmation.”
This is not about demanding the model’s hidden reasoning. It is about exposing the premises supporting its recommendation. One mistaken assumption can make an otherwise excellent answer useless.
Don’t only inspect the conclusion. Inspect what had to be assumed to reach it.
