Creating summaries with generative AI - pros, cons, & use cases
and how to include the human touch
The popularity of AI-generated summaries
My viewpoint is inherently personal, but in my opinion, text summarization is one of the most popular generative AI tools people use to quickly grasp the main points of complex subjects. Think about it, we’re all seeing these little summary boxes popping up on websites and in writing tools. There are dozens of web browser plugins that summarize web pages, and all of the AI writing tools will summarize for you.
I wonder, will AI summarization become as popular as a spell checker soon?
Keep in mind that going faster to increase reading speed and comprehension can have the drawback of not knowing for sure if the AI-generated summary is accurate or focused on the nuance of the topic that you are hoping for.
Staying engaged with what you’re reading
It's hard to know how thorough a summary was, and unless you can customize your prompt, you may not be able to fine-tune the result. What's true is that you need to keep yourself engaged with AI-generated results, especially those you are passing along to others. When something is wrong in a summary of key points, you can't blame the machine unless you catch the error yourself and verify it.
I mention this because I've learned that summarization can strip out important nuances and points you may need to know. It's often “right”, but you never know for sure. If you rely on summarization tools as a way to point you in the right direction or focus your mind on the details that matter, then there is much to be gained.
Some browsers have built-in summarization plugins which are helpful when skipping around the Internet looking for an answer. With a glance over the summary, I often find myself thinking, "Huh, there is more to this article than I thought. I'm going to save it and read it in detail." Otherwise, I might have skipped past the web page thinking it's too long and I don't know if I should even care. The summary made a difference.
The opposite of this thinking is equally true. I'm all too eager to quickly skip past content that doesn't fit my current mindset, especially when I’m in a hurry. But I wonder what I might have wished to know. I think we have to learn to trust both instincts: be open to new thoughts and be willing to say no with discernment. I think of it as a new daily discipline while online (so I don’t feel buried).
Using a Chrome browser plugin for AI summary
A popular way to leverage AI-generated summaries is by using a plugin for your Chrome-enabled browser. There are many of them. I've used one called Merlin and found it helpful. My suggestion is to bookmark this post by Javier Gil, who wrote: "Best 18 AI-Powered Chrome Extensions You Should Be Using." The suggested plugins he covers will summarize web pages, blogs, and news articles, and even convert audio and video transcripts into summaries. When using a plugin, make sure you can easily modify a prompt or keep multiple versions for different purposes.
How I create and use AI-generated prompts for summaries
Personally, and though it is more work, I tend to use an LLM to summarize content versus browser plugins, but again, this is my personal preference. There is no one perfect browser plugin or LLM for summarization. I use ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Claude.ai, and depending on the result I get back, I may run the prompt on a second or third LLM to compare.
As you know, the more specific your prompt is, the more likely the summary will align with your goals. Admittedly, the process of copying and pasting content over to an LLM is an extra step versus using a browser plugin. But I feel like I have more control over how I'm constructing the prompt. So if the results come back all whacky, I can make a quick tweak to my prompt and re-enter the updated prompt. Each LLM has its little quirks in how it generates summaries. In the spirit of what I said earlier, pay attention to the result and ask yourself, "Does this make sense?"
I use summary prompts when I want to understand what is discussed in a YouTube video, especially long ones. Especially so for audio podcasts. In most cases, YouTube provides the full text of a video, and audio transcription is essentially free. All you do is copy and paste a transcript into an LLM.
I summarize documents, podcasts, or YouTube sources to help me research an article or to help a client understand a topic that I need to brush up on first. I produce podcast shows, so I'll use a tool called MacWhisper to transcribe the text of the podcast and then extract the key points. MacWhisper has built-in access to ChatGPT and Claude and MacWhisper will automatically pull a Youtube transcript into the tool with a single click.
Another example is informing a friend about some news or a new product release by providing a thoughtful summary and reason why they may want to read about it. Asking an LLM to provide a short, sentence or two summary that I can edit a bit and forward on is faster and often encourages me to be more descriptive and compelling. The likelihood of that friend reading the article is vastly improved with a personalized, edited summary along with a link to the post. I sure like that when others do it for me.
10 example summary prompts for different Purposes
Executive summary prompt: Condense the provided content into an executive summary. Clearly outline the issue, main findings, conclusions, and recommendations professionally and persuasively. Limit the summary to one or two paragraphs.
Abstract prompt: Compose an abstract for the given research paper, article, or report. Summarize the background, objectives, methods, results, and conclusions in a scholarly and technical style. Keep the abstract within 150 to 300 words.
Briefing note prompt: Craft a briefing note to inform busy executives or policymakers about a complex issue. Include background information, current status, key considerations, options, and recommendations in a clear and concise format. Structure the note with subheadings and bullet points for easy reading, and keep it to one or two pages.
Blog post summary prompt: Write a captivating summary of the provided blog post to entice readers to explore the full article. Highlight the main topic, key takeaways, and potential benefits for the reader in an engaging and conversational tone. Aim for two to four paragraphs, and consider ending with a cliffhanger or question.
Chapter summary prompt: Generate a summary for a designated textbook chapter to aid students in reviewing and retaining crucial information. Outline the main topics, concepts, theories, and examples covered in an educational and structured manner. Adjust the length based on the content, typically writing one to three paragraphs per main section.
Social media post summary prompt: Develop a concise and compelling summary of the given content for social media platforms. Focus on the key message, interesting facts, or actionable insights to capture the attention of the target audience. Use a friendly and relatable tone, and limit the summary to 1-2 short paragraphs or bullet points.
Video script summary prompt: Summarize the main points of the provided video script or transcript to create a brief overview for viewers. Highlight the central theme, key arguments, and notable examples clearly and engagingly. Write the summary in 2-3 paragraphs with a conversational tone that encourages viewers to watch the full video.
News article highlights prompt: Extract essential information from the given news article to create a summary capturing key facts, events, and implications. Present the highlights in a neutral and objective tone, focusing on the who, what, when, where, and why. Limit the summary to 3-4 concise paragraphs for easy digestion.
Product description summary prompt: Summarize the features, benefits, and unique selling points of the provided product description. Use persuasive and descriptive language to create an enticing overview for potential customers. Focus on the most relevant aspects and present the summary in 2-3 short paragraphs or bullet points.
Meeting minutes summary prompt: Summarize the provided meeting minutes to highlight key discussions, decisions, and action items. Use a professional and organized tone to present the information clearly and logically. Summarize each agenda item in 1-2 sentences and list important decisions or tasks as bullet points. Keep the overall summary concise, typically no more than 1 page.
Before you finalize a summarization prompt - remember YOUR intention
Here are some tips to include in your prompts to make them more useful. Copy one of these into whatever prompt you're working on and adjust it to fit your intention with whatever customization you feel is needed.
Hook the Reader: Start with a compelling fact, question, or statement that grabs attention. This is especially crucial for summaries intended for public consumption, like blog posts or social media content.
Use Active Voice: Active voice contributes to a direct, lively writing style that is often more engaging than passive constructions.
Incorporate Visuals: Whenever applicable, linking to or including visuals can greatly enhance the appeal and comprehension of a summary. Visuals can be particularly effective in video script summaries or social media posts. Note that you may need to do this manually after you get a solid summary in place.
Highlight Benefits or Implications: Particularly for product descriptions or policy briefings, focusing on the 'why' can engage readers by showing the relevance or impact of the information. This is a personal customization you do to keep the result real.
Vary Sentence Structure: To keep the reader's interest, vary the length and structure of sentences. This can help maintain dynamic pacing in the writing, preventing it from becoming monotonous.
End with a Call-to-Action: Encouraging further reading or interaction can be effective, especially in summaries for marketing or educational content. This might include inviting readers to comment, share, or explore a related topic. And this may require some manual customization to fit a more precise or highly personal tone.
A fun example
I'll end with an example I've used recently. I was explaining to a friend why I am enjoying the streaming TV show "Gentleman in Moscow."
Here is a customized prompt I used to stimulate my thinking on what to include in the note to my friend:
Write a short summary as to why a friend would want to watch the TV series "Gentleman in Moscow." Start with a compelling fact, question, or statement that grabs attention. Use active voice. To keep the reader's interest, vary the length and structure of sentences. Have NO more than 5 sentences.
Response:
Ewan McGregor shines as Count Rostov, a man trapped in a luxury hotel for decades in "Gentleman in Moscow." Through his eyes, witness the upheavals of early 20th century Russia while exploring themes of resilience, friendship, and finding meaning in the face of confinement. Sumptuous visuals and a brilliant script bring Amor Towles' novel to vivid life. This elegant series is a thought-provoking masterpiece not to be missed.
I copied out the portion in bold and slightly rewrote it in the email, making it - you guessed it - more personal.
And yes, the friend started watching the show! Ask me questions. That's how we learn.
Tom