AI produces a first draft in seconds. The time now goes into review, and most teams haven't changed how they review.
The problem
Review goes wrong in one of two ways. Reviewers trust fluent prose and check too little, so errors reach the reader. Or they distrust all of it and check every line from scratch, so no time is saved.
AI drafts fail differently from human drafts. A human first draft is rough where the writer was unsure. An AI draft reads smoothly everywhere, including where it is wrong. The errors are also of a different kind: invented details, outdated facts, terms that sound right but aren't yours.
Two findings show the cost. In a Harvard and BCG study of 758 consultants, AI users did better on tasks the tools handled well, and were 19% less likely to reach a correct answer on a task outside what the tools could do. They trusted output they should have checked. In Mata v. Avianca, a New York court fined two lawyers and their firm $5,000 for filing a brief that cited court opinions ChatGPT had invented.
The solution
A shared checklist. It tells the reviewer where AI drafts usually go wrong, so attention goes there first.
1. Facts and claims
Every number, name, date and version traces to a source you trust
Every feature or capability described actually exists
No invented references, links, citations or quotes
No claim is stronger than its source supports
2. The brief
The draft answers the question the brief asked
It is written for the stated audience
Everything the brief required is present, and nothing outside its scope has crept in
3. Terminology and style
Product and feature names match the official forms
Terms match your glossary and are used consistently
Spelling and formatting follow your style guide
4. Structure and voice
The draft follows the agreed template, and each heading matches what sits under it
No point repeats across sections, and there is no filler introduction or summary
It sounds like your organisation, without stock phrases your team avoids
5. Risk
No confidential or internal information
Legal, regulatory or safety statements flagged for sign-off
Anything needing an SME's approval is marked for it
The approach
Give the same checklist to writers and reviewers. Writers check their own draft before submitting, so the reviewer starts from a cleaner draft.
Split the work. Writers own sections 2 to 4. SMEs own facts and risk. Reviewers confirm both happened.
Add your own recurring errors. After a month, the most common ones will be obvious. Put them at the top.
Where we fit. In AI-Assisted Workflow Design (Module 3), we build review checklists mapped to your style guide and templates. Book a discovery call.
