Ask for the missing work: the decision needed, the evidence, the recommendation, the owner or the open question. You can do that without asking how it was written.
Should I ask whether they used AI?
You don’t need to. Apply the same requirements whether the author used AI, a template or neither.
1. Name what is missing.
Look for the decision needed, the supporting evidence, a recommendation, an owner and any unresolved question.
A fictional example: request the substance.
- The feedback
- “I can see the options, but I can’t make the decision yet. Please add your recommendation, the evidence behind it and the trade-off you want accepted.”
- What it leaves out
- Any accusation about how the document was made.
2. Agree on an example of work people can use.
Before the next draft. Show a short, completed example and explain why it works.
At handoff. The sender checks it against the same standard.
Afterward. Notice whether the receiver can act without reconstructing the thinking.
Practical check: Clear requirements are more useful than guessing how it was written.
Read more: Before You Tell the Team to Use More AI: A Manager’s Brief · Using AI to Prepare for a Cross-Functional Decision
The example is fictional. This is general guidance, not advice for your situation.