INVESTIGATE A QUESTION

What this project is

Start with a question you want to investigate. It could be something you're curious about, something you need to decide, or a question where you want to learn more before forming an opinion.

Use AI to help you explore the question, identify what you need to know, find different perspectives, and check the evidence.

Good questions to start with

  • How does something work?

  • Why does something happen?

  • What are the arguments on both sides?

  • What options do I have?

  • What evidence supports a particular claim?

  • What has changed over time?

  • What do experts disagree about?

  • What would I need to know before making a decision?

Start with this prompt

I want to investigate this question: [your question]. Don't just give me an answer. Help me break the question into smaller questions, identify what information I need, and suggest different perspectives or explanations I should examine.

Work through the project

1. Start with the question
What do you really want to find out?

2. Break it apart
What smaller questions would help answer the larger question?

3. Explore the evidence
Ask AI to identify relevant facts, sources, arguments, and areas of uncertainty.

4. Challenge the first answer
Ask what might be wrong, missing, or based on an assumption.

5. Form your own conclusion
Use what you've learned to decide what you think and what remains uncertain.

PACT reminder

Purpose — What are you trying to accomplish?
Add Context — What does AI need to know?
Converse — What needs to be changed or improved?
Test — Which claims and sources need verification?

Things to watch for

AI can give you a confident answer before the question has been fully investigated. Ask for sources and check important claims yourself. Pay particular attention to dates, statistics, quotations, and claims that could affect an important decision.

A good investigation may end with “we don't know yet.” That's a useful result when the evidence isn't strong enough for a firm conclusion.

Your first step

Write down one question you genuinely want to investigate.