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Building · 5 min read

When The AI Misunderstands You


Two failed attempts at the same request means the description is wrong, not the model. Here's how to rewrite it.

There is a particular kind of frustration in repeating yourself to a machine. The instinct is to say the same thing louder. The fix is almost always to say a different thing.

Rewrite as a finished state

Instead of describing the change, describe what the screen should look like afterwards. 'After I save, the new photo appears at the top of the album with the date beneath it.'

This gives the AI a target it can check itself against, rather than an action it can perform incorrectly.

Undo before you retry

Stacking a corrected request on top of a wrong one leaves debris. Roll back to the last good version, then try the better description.

One change, one review. It feels slower and it is dramatically faster.