Everyone has a letter like this. It arrives, you open it, you read the first paragraph twice, and then you put it back on the side “to deal with later”. A week on, it’s still there, quietly making you feel guilty every time you walk past.
Usually it’s a bill that’s gone up without an obvious reason, a tax or pension letter full of reference numbers, or a renewal notice that says “subject to adjustment” and not much else. The hard part isn’t the action. It’s working out whether there even is one.
These days I give letters like that ten minutes with AI. Here’s how.
Step 1: Cover up the personal bits
Before anything goes near an AI tool, hide your account numbers, reference numbers, address, date of birth and anything else that identifies you. A sticky note over the top before you take a photo works fine, or just delete those lines if you’re pasting text. The AI doesn’t need them to explain what the letter means.
Step 2: Ask for plain English and an action
Paste the text or upload the photo, then use this prompt:
“Explain this letter in plain English in no more than five lines. Then tell me what, if anything, I need to do and by when. Finally, flag anything that looks unusual, worth questioning, or that I might want to check with the sender. If you’re not sure about something, say so rather than guessing.”
That last line matters. You want it to admit when the letter is ambiguous, not smooth over it.
Step 3: Check the numbers against the letter
This is the step people skip. Go back to the original and check the things that actually matter: the amounts, the dates and any deadline. AI can misread a figure, especially from a photo, and the letter is the version that counts.
If the summary says your bill went up because a discount ended, find that line in the letter yourself. Thirty seconds of checking saves a lot of confusion later.
Step 4: Turn it into one line
The goal is one line on your to-do list or calendar:
- What to do. Pay, reply, call, cancel, or nothing.
- When. The real deadline, taken from the letter, not the summary.
- What to ask. If something looked odd, the one question to put to the sender.
Sometimes the answer is “nothing, just file it”. That’s still worth knowing, and it’s oddly satisfying to finally move the letter off the side.
Step 5: Ask for help drafting a reply if you need one
If you do need to query something, ask AI for a short, polite draft: “Write a brief, friendly message asking them to explain [the thing that looked odd].” Then rewrite it so it sounds like you, add your details back in yourself, and send it through the company’s official channel.
Where AI stops
AI is good at translating jargon and spotting the bit you need to act on. It isn’t your accountant, solicitor or doctor. If the letter is about anything legal, medical, or a big financial decision, use the summary to work out the right questions, then call the company or speak to someone qualified. And if a letter is asking you to pay urgently or share details, check it’s genuine by contacting the organisation directly using a number you already trust, not one in the letter.
Quick questions
Is it safe to upload a letter to AI?
Cover up account numbers, reference numbers, your address and date of birth first. The AI only needs the wording to explain what it means.
Can I trust the summary?
Use it as a guide, then check the amounts, dates and deadlines against the letter itself. AI can misread a number, especially from a photo.
What if the letter looks like a scam?
Don't use any phone number or link in the letter. Contact the organisation directly using details you already trust.