AI-assisted reporting review · Synthetic example
Check every AI-generated reporting claim against its source.
Fluent wording can hide a wrong number, a missing qualifier, or a causal story the report never proved. Review the claim, the calculation, and the source location separately before approving client copy.
Worked example: a four-claim audit
The synthetic benchmark report (PDF, page 1) records August and September 2026 figures and notes that its suggested explanations are not established. The table below treats a generated sentence as a draft to review, not as evidence.
| Draft claim | Source check | Review decision |
|---|---|---|
| “Ad spend rose 12.5%.” | $18,400 to $20,700; ($20,700 − $18,400) ÷ $18,400 = 12.5%. | Keep with dates and source. |
| “Revenue fell 14.3%.” | Tracked revenue $123,000 to $105,400; the percentage is rounded. | Say “tracked revenue”; keep the rounding clear. |
| “Audience fatigue caused the decline.” | The report suggests a possible explanation but supplies no causal support. | Flag as unsupported; do not present as fact. |
| “Check conversion by device.” | The report shows conversion fell from 8.9% to 7.1%, but no device breakdown. | Keep as a proposed next check, not a finding. |
A repeatable source-check method
- Split the draft into atomic claims. A sentence that joins spend, revenue, and a cause contains multiple claims. Check each part independently.
- Find the exact source location. Record the PDF page, table, or note. Confirm that the period, currency, and metric label in the draft match the report.
- Recalculate derived figures. For a percentage change, use the prior period as the denominator and state whether the displayed value is rounded. Do not turn a percentage-point change into a percent change.
- Classify the wording. Mark a source fact, a calculation, an interpretation, or a recommendation. A recommendation can be sensible without being a source finding.
- Inspect causation and certainty. Look for words such as “because,” “caused,” and “proved.” Require evidence appropriate to that claim, or rewrite it as uncertainty and a next check.
- Approve the final version. Have a human reviewer compare the approved wording with the written summary and video transcript.
Rewrite the unsupported sentence
Unsupported draft
“Audience fatigue caused September revenue to fall despite higher ad spend.”
Supported alternative
“September ad spend increased while tracked revenue fell. The report does not establish the cause. We will examine audience and campaign patterns before drawing a conclusion.”
The alternative still gives the client a next step. It also leaves room for a different explanation if later evidence points to tracking, timing, or a change elsewhere in the funnel.
What a source link does not prove
A citation can show where a number appeared; it does not guarantee that the number was measured correctly or that the source itself is complete. The reviewer still needs to assess data quality, attribution, and whether the evidence supports the strength of the wording.
Put the audit to work
Inspect the source and the warning together.
The synthetic demo exposes the report figures and leaves unresolved causation visible in the client story.
Open the prospect demo