AI models often produce better results when asked to review what they've written. It's like asking a colleague to proofread, except the colleague is the same model with a different instruction.
Simple self-review prompts
- "Review your answer for factual errors and unsupported claims."
- "What's missing from this answer that an expert would include?"
- "Check the code for bugs and edge cases you didn't handle."
- "Does this meet every requirement in my original request? List any you missed."
Critique, then rewrite
Step 1: Critique this draft as a demanding editor. List the 5 biggest weaknesses.
Step 2: Rewrite the draft to fix them.Use a checklist
Give the AI your quality checklist (tone, length, structure, accuracy) and ask it to score the output against each item before revising.
Fresh eyes
For important work, start a new chat and paste the output, asking for a critique without the original conversation. This avoids the model defending its earlier choices.
Limits
Self-review can catch many mistakes but not all, especially factual ones. For facts and figures, always verify with reliable sources.