Delegation: what to ask AI (and what not to)
Not everything should go to AI. Learn when it saves you time and when you’re better off doing it yourself.
The first question isn’t “how do I ask?”, but “does it make sense to ask AI?”. Delegating well means three things.
1. Know what you want (before opening the chat)
It sounds obvious, but it’s the most common mistake: people open the assistant “to see what happens”. Stop for 20 seconds and ask yourself:
- What’s the goal? Not “write an email”, but “get a refund from the shop”.
- What matters to me? Speed? Accuracy? A personal touch?
- How will I know the result is good?
The 20-second trick
Try saying out loud what you want to achieve, in one sentence. If you can’t, the AI won’t be able to guess it for you.
2. Know your tool
Every assistant has strengths and limits. Before handing something over, ask yourself:
- Can it search the web, or does it only work with what it learned?
- Can it read files, photos, PDFs?
- Where does the data I give it end up? (More on this in the Diligence lesson.)
If you don’t know, ask the assistant itself. But remember: what it says about itself can be wrong too. For important things, check the settings or the service’s help page.
3. Split the work
The choice is rarely “all to AI” or “all to me”. Often the best solution is to share:
| Usually fine for AI | Usually better done by you |
|---|---|
| First draft of a text | Important decisions (health, money, law) |
| Summarising, reordering, rephrasing | Anything that needs your memories and feelings |
| Finding ideas and alternatives | Checking facts and figures |
| Explaining concepts simply | Very personal messages (condolences, real apologies) |
| Being a “gym”: simulations, quizzes | Judging people (hiring, assessments) |
How much does a mistake “cost”?
A simple rule for deciding: the higher the cost of a mistake, the more you must check (or do it yourself).
- 🟢 Low — gift ideas, a recipe, a playlist name. If it’s wrong, no big deal.
- 🟡 Medium — a work email, a summary for studying. Reread carefully.
- 🔴 High — health, money, legal documents, safety. Use AI only to understand and prepare, then check with a professional.