Sound familiar?
You asked AI to 'summarize the lecture' — and got a vague paraphrase instead of structure.
The AI summary looks polished, but key details and examples are missing.
Every time you copy text into a chat — and every time you re-explain what you need.
The longer the source text — the worse the summary. AI 'gets lost'.
Why one prompt doesn't work
'Summarize this' — the worst prompt for AI
When you ask AI to 'summarize this', it tries to do everything at once: understand the structure, identify key points, cut the fluff, and format nicely. Four tasks in one request — and none of them turns out well.
It's like asking an intern: 'Read 50 pages, highlight the key points, organize by topics, and format as a presentation'. The result will be shallow — because there are too many tasks at once.
The fix is simple: break summarizing into steps. One prompt = one task. AI does each step well because it's not distracted by the others. This same step-by-step principle works for any complex task.
The Method: 3 Prompts Instead of One
Don't ask AI to 'make a summary'. Break it into three steps — and each will be accurate. Your notebook in LiveAI stores your notes, and AI reads them automatically — no need to copy text into a chat.
Step 1 — structure. AI organizes text by topics.
Step 2 — key points. From each topic — only the essentials.
Step 3 — format. A ready summary in the format you need.
Example 1: Lecture Summary
Write down key ideas in a notebook
During the lecture, jot down everything that seems important. Don't format — just write.
- Definitions: 'Unit economics — a model for calculating profit per customer'
- Examples: 'Spotify case — reduced customer acquisition cost through content marketing'
- Instructor's conclusions: 'You can't scale ads without unit economics'
Ask AI to organize by topics
Enable notebook context. First prompt — structure only, nothing else.
- Prompt: 'Organize my notes by lecture topics. Just group them into sections, don't cut anything'.
- AI sees your notes from the notebook and groups them — it doesn't invent, it organizes what's there.
Extract key takeaways
Second prompt — compression. AI works with already structured text, so nothing gets lost.
- Prompt: 'From each section, extract 2-3 key takeaways. Format: takeaway + example from the lecture'.
Example 2: Book or Article Summary
Write down thoughts and quotes
While reading, write down everything that strikes you: quotes, ideas, questions for the author.
- Quotes: 'System 1 makes decisions fast but often gets them wrong'
- Your thoughts: 'This explains why customers don't read long texts'
- Questions: 'How to use System 2 for better decision-making?'
Extract the main ideas
Enable notebook context and ask AI to identify the key ideas.
- Prompt: 'Identify 5-7 main ideas from my notes. For each — a brief explanation and an example from the text'.
- AI works with your notes, not with a book summary from the internet — the result will focus on what matters to you.
Formulate practical applications
Final prompt — turn theory into practice.
- Prompt: 'For each idea, suggest how I can apply it in my work. Context: I work in [your field]'.
One Prompt vs Three Prompts
Compare: one 'summarize this' request versus three focused prompts.
Shallow paraphrase. No structure, missing examples and details.
Structure by topics → key takeaways → applications. Nothing lost.
FAQ
Try Making a Summary Right Now
Open your latest lecture or article. 3 prompts — and you have a structured summary with key takeaways.