Getting useful AI help
Ask for an answer that is usable on a phone
Tell the AI you will read the answer on a phone and request a format that fits the task. Start with a short answer, then a small checklist and the next action. Include an unresolved question only when one remains, and keep conditions beside the steps they affect.
A text to start with
I will read this on my phone, probably while [situation]. My task is [task]. What I already know: [facts]. Answer in this shape: one sentence with the answer, a checklist of at most [number] short items, fewer if enough, the most important unresolved question if there is one, and one next action naming who does what. Keep every condition I need to use the answer safely, such as [condition], attached to the step it affects.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Phone answer worksheet
Task: [ ] Where and when I will read it: [ ] One-sentence answer: [ ] Checklist items, each with the condition it depends on: 1. [ ] Condition: [ ] 2. [ ] Condition: [ ] 3. [ ] Condition: [ ] Unresolved question: [none, or the question] Who or what could answer it: [ ] Next action: [ ] Person responsible: [ ] By when: [ ] Condition that must stay attached to this answer: [ ]
What gets lost when answers shrink
Compare the short version with the source answer. Check dates, limits and exceptions needed to use it correctly, and keep each beside the relevant step. If the opening sentence needs a condition, include it there instead of relying on a later paragraph. Do not invent a question to fill the requested format when the task is already clear. Confirm that the next action names what happens next and who handles it. Cut repeated explanations before removing information the task depends on.
Ask another agent to check the result
Here is a long answer and its phone version. Cut repetition in the short version, but first list every condition, limit or warning from the long version that is missing or detached from its step, and restore those before trimming anything else. Then check that the one-sentence answer stands without the checklist.
Test it on the device you will use
Read the answer on the phone where you expect to use it. If it is hard to scan, shorten repeated wording or reduce the number of checklist items while keeping necessary conditions. Supply answers to any open questions and request an updated version. Save the format if it works for similar tasks.