AI;DR: the 3-habit checklist for AI-assisted messages
AI;DR means "AI, didn't read". It works like TL;DR, for messages that look like raw AI output. Rick Manelius wrote it up on 17 August 2026, and his post reached #1 on Hacker News on 18 August, where the thread drew 692 comments. His policy:
If you're not bothered enough to review and edit it...
...then I'm not going to bother reading it.
He's fine with AI in customer support. His problem is the colleague who posts "a wall of Claude output" into a Slack discussion.
What you need
The AI draft you're about to send to a colleague
2 minutes
The 3 habits
Read it. All of it, before anyone else does. If you wouldn't stand behind a line, it goes.
Cut it to the answer. Whatever the other person needs to decide or do, in a sentence or two.
Put your view on top. Your recommendation first, in your own words. The AI's working can sit underneath or in the thread.
Before and after (a sample, vendors invented)
Before: 14 bullets from AI comparing Vendor A and Vendor B, ending with "the best choice depends on your needs".
After:
Go with vendor B. Cheaper over 3 years. Claude's comparison is in the thread.
The mistake to avoid
Asking AI to "make it shorter" and pasting that without reading it. A shorter wall is still a wall nobody asked for, and it still isn't your view.