Evaluation & Quality
AI summary drift
Meaning being changed or distorted when AI turns material into a summary.
Example
A summary turns a tentative suggestion into a firm decision.
Why people use it
It highlights changes in meaning that can creep into a shortened account.
What you'll hear
“The notes turned a suggestion into a decision.”
What this means for you
Check decisions, uncertainty and attribution against the original material.
Can you control it?
No
No direct control. This describes a wider issue, concept or result rather than something you can simply switch on or off in a tool.
Common questions
- Is summary drift only caused by long documents?
- No. Ambiguous language and repeated summarization can also contribute.
- Can repeated summarizing make the problem worse?
- Yes. Each new summary can lose another detail or carry an earlier mistake forward.
- Can names be right while the meaning is wrong?
- Yes. A summary may name everyone correctly but confuse who agreed, objected or made a suggestion.