Between elections, climate events, funding changes, and the rapid development of AI, it’s impossible to keep up with everything.
Just last week, the State of California released a major report on AI safety. And that’s just one of many developments in a single week.
When there’s too much to read and too little time, I turn to AI. It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to summarise and make sense of complex documents, not just as a shortcut, but to help me focus on what’s relevant.
For example, I recently had a 38-page report on the best use of generative AI. Instead of skimming or giving up, I asked ChatGPT to:
- Summarise the key points
- Tailor the analysis to what I already know
- Highlight which parts would be most useful for me to focus on.
Here’s the exact prompt I used (or you can adapt it to your role):
💬 Prompt:
“Act as an expert in analysing policy and strategic reports. I work in [e.g. a small NFP focused on youth programs], and I already have a working knowledge of generative AI. I’m short on time. Please:
- Summarise the document
- Highlight the most critical sections
- Flag anything that’s new or particularly relevant to my sector
- Suggest where I should focus my attention first.”
If you are using ChatGPT, remember to add the document using the ‘plus’ button on the bottom left of the prompt bar.
⚠️ Quick note on privacy: If you're trying this for the first time, start with publicly available documents, no need to upload confidential data. It’s a safe and easy way to experiment.
AI doesn’t just save time, it helps us cut through the noise and focus on what matters most.