Stephen Downes

'Skills' are structured sets of instructions adding functionality to an AI model (Claude skills, ChatGPT skills). This article outlines a 'better documents' skill. It can be executed via a command or in appropriate contexts. A document-writing skill, for example, would be activated when the model is asked to 'write an article' or 'review this memo'. A skill is contained in a folder with a number of standard files (here's Anil Dash's better documents skill on GitHub). What interests me is how the content could help humans, as well as AIs, create better documents. It addresses things like structure and design, helping authors watch for and correct things like unactionable requests or hidden conclusions (the 'mystery novel' structure so common among novice writers who were taught that the conclusion is stated at the end). For this reason, I think it would be a good learning exercise to have someone design their own skills for writing documents or any other creative task (even if they never use it in an AI). Related: record a skill.