Ever found yourself staring at a massive wall of text, wanting just to hit a button and get the gist?
Don’t you wish you knew how to summarize an article with AI?
Thankfully, after you read this short how-to guide, you’ll have everything you need to avoid wasting any more time on summaries.
We’ll cover:
- How to summarize an article with AI (TL;DR)
- Choose the right AI tool for summarization
- Add your prompt
- Upload or input your article
- Review the generated summary
- Refine if necessary
- FAQs
Let’s get started.
How to summarize an article with AI (TL;DR)
Here's the quick version of how to summarize an article using AI:
- Pick your favorite AI tool.
- Give it a nudge with a clear prompt.
- Feed it the article you want summarized.
- Review the AI-generated summary and tweak it if needed.
1. Pick your favorite AI tool
Choosing the right AI tool is like picking your favorite video game character.
While there’s no accounting for choice, there are clear winners and losers when it comes to things like capabilities, features, and pricing.
There's no one-size-fits-all, so consider your needs and preferences. Are you looking for a free tool or willing to pay for extra features? Do you need a tool that integrates with other apps or platforms?
Here are a few popular options to get you started:
- Lindy: This 5-star AI assistant is a great all-around choice. It's easy to use, understands natural language, and can summarize articles in various formats (bullet points, paragraphs, etc.).
- ChatGPT: This AI chatbot is very good at understanding context and generating concise summaries. It's perfect for quickly grasping the main points of an article.
- Gemini: Google's experimental AI chatbot is another option for quick and accurate summaries. It's still in development, but it shows a lot of promise for summarizing complex texts in a conversational manner
- Other tools: A quick search will reveal a plethora of AI summarization tools, both free and paid. Experiment with a few to find your perfect match.
2. Give it a nudge with a clear prompt
Think of your AI tool as a helpful assistant, not a mind reader. A clear and specific prompt will guide the AI towards generating the kind of summary you want.
Here are a few tips for writing effective prompts:
- Be specific: Tell the AI exactly what you want. Do you need a one-sentence summary, a bulleted list, or a paragraph that focuses on specific aspects of the article?
- Use keywords: If there are specific terms or concepts you want the summary to include, mention them in your prompt.
- Experiment: Don't be afraid to try different prompts to see what works best. You can always refine your prompt if the initial results aren't quite what you were looking for.
Here are a few prompt examples you can use as inspiration to copy and paste:
- "Summarize this article in three sentences."
- "What are the key takeaways from this article?"
- "Create a bulleted list of the most important points in this article."
- "Identify the main arguments and supporting evidence in this article."
- "Summarize this article for a [specific audience, e.g., busy executives, students, general readers]."
3. Feed it the article you want summarized
This step is pretty straightforward.
Most AI tools give you two options:
- Upload a file: If you have the article saved as a document (like a PDF or Word file), you can simply upload it to the tool.
- Copy and paste: If the article is online, just copy and paste the text into the tool's input box.
Some tools might also let you enter a URL, but uploading or pasting the text is usually the most reliable method.
4. Review the AI-generated summary and tweak it if needed
Now comes the fun part: Seeing what the AI has come up with. Depending on the tool you're using and the complexity of the article, the summary might be spot-on or need a little fine-tuning.
Here's what to look for:
- Accuracy: Does the summary accurately capture the main points of the article?
- Conciseness: Is the summary clear and to the point, or is it overly wordy and confusing?
- Relevance: Does the summary focus on the information that's most important to you?
If the summary needs some work, don't worry. You can easily edit it to make it more accurate, concise, and relevant to your needs.
5. Keep the conversation going
Remember, most AI tools allow for ongoing conversation. If the initial summary isn't quite right, don't hesitate to ask the AI to try again or provide more details on specific points.
Here are a few prompts you can use to refine the summary:
- "Can you make the summary shorter?"
- "Can you focus on the [specific aspect] of the article?"
- "Can you provide more details about [specific point]?"
- "Can you rephrase this sentence to make it clearer?"
Even with the best prompts, AI-generated summaries might need some tweaking. After all, AI doesn't have your unique perspective or the nuanced understanding of the article that you possess.
Don't be afraid to:
- Add in the missing stuff: If the AI missed any key points, you can easily add them back in.
- Remove unnecessary information: If the summary includes irrelevant details, cut them out.
- Rephrase for clarity: If any sentences are awkward or confusing, reword them for better readability.
- Adjust the tone: If the summary doesn't match the tone you're looking for, tweak the language to make it more formal, and casual.
FAQs
Is there an AI to summarize an article?
Absolutely! There are many AI tools designed specifically to summarize articles. These tools can save you time and effort by quickly condensing lengthy texts into concise summaries. Some popular options include Lindy, ChatGPT, Gemini, and many others. You can find a variety of free and paid tools depending on your needs.
Can ChatGPT summarize an article?
Yes, ChatGPT is a big winner for summarizing articles. It can understand the context of the text and generate coherent summaries that capture the main points. Simply provide ChatGPT with the article you want to summarize and give it a prompt like "Summarize this article in three sentences."
Can Jasper AI summarize an article?
While Jasper AI is primarily a writing assistant, it’s also adept at summarization. Its "Content Improver" template can help you condense and rephrase existing text, effectively creating a summary.
What's the best AI prompt to summarize an article?
The best prompt depends on your specific needs and the AI tool you're using. However, here are a few general tips:
- Be specific: Clearly state what you want the summary to focus on (e.g., key takeaways, main arguments, specific aspects).
- Try keywords: Include relevant terms or concepts you want the summary to highlight.
- Experiment: Try different prompts to see what gets you the best results.
Some examples of effective prompts include:
- "Summarize this article in three sentences."
- "What are the key takeaways from this article?"
- "Create a bulleted list of the most important points in this article."
Summing up
Who knew that learning how to summarize an article with AI was this easy?
With the right AI tool and a well-crafted prompt, you can transform those daunting, impenetrable docs into digestible summaries in a few seconds.
You can rest up from information overload and say “Hi” to more efficient times!
Next steps
Tired of sifting through endless articles? Look no further than Lindy, the all-in-one AI assistant.
With Lindy, you can:
- Create custom AI agents: Train Lindy to perform specific tasks like summarizing articles, reports, or even entire books. Plus, Lindy is not limited to summarizing, it can do pretty much anything under the sun!
- Societies of Lindies. Lindy agents can work as a team, powering up beyond their individual capabilities.
- Instruct in plain English: No need for complex commands or coding knowledge. Simply tell Lindy what you need, and it will deliver.
- Integrate with your existing tools: Connect Lindy to your favorite apps and platforms to automate your workflow and boost your productivity. It’s got over 3,000 integrations.
Try out Lindy’s 7-day free trial, and then pay just $49 per month.
