Rick Manelius · 2026-08-17 · notable
Rick Manelius — 'AI;DR (AI; Didn't Read)'
Rick Manelius proposes AI;DR — 'AI; Didn't Read' — as a reply to unedited AI writing. His rule: if the sender did not review and edit the text, the reader should not have to read it. The post reached the Hacker News front page.
A short label for AI text nobody bothered to edit, and a reason to stop reading it.
What is it?
AI;DR is Rick Manelius's shorthand for 'AI; Didn't Read' — the reply you send when a message or post is raw model output. His line is direct: "If you're not bothered enough to review and edit it...then I'm not going to bother reading it." The label aims at the sender's effort, not at the use of AI.
How does it work?
The test is where the text lands, not how it was made. Manelius treats AI as a normal part of drafting and expects it to be there; what he asks for is a human editing pass before anything reaches a reader. He splits the cases apart: raw generation is fine for something like customer support automation, and not fine for a professional newsletter or a note to a colleague.
Why does it matter?
As AI writing spreads through email, docs and newsletters, teams need a plain norm to point at, and 'AI;DR' gives them a two-word one. Sending unedited output, Manelius argues, tells the reader you did not think they were worth the polish. A commenter on the post adds a second cost he calls "borrowed competence" — expert-sounding work from someone who may not grasp the assumptions underneath it.
Who is it for?
anyone writing with AI at work