Think with AI · Guide 11 of 12
The AI Decision Framework
A repeatable 6-step method for making any important decision better.
After This Guide, You Will Be Able To
Apply a repeatable AI-assisted decision framework to a real choice you are facing.
Why This Matters
In Guide 10, you learned what goes wrong with decisions when we make them alone. Now you get the antidote — a structured method that works every time because it takes the same steps in the same order regardless of the decision size.
Good decision-making is not about having more information. It is about asking the right questions in the right order. This framework does that — and it ends with you making the call yourself, not delegating it to AI.
Core Concept — The 6-Step Framework
State the decision clearly
What exactly am I choosing between? Not 'what should I do with my career' but 'should I take the job offer at Company X or stay in my current role.' Precision here matters — a vague decision produces vague analysis.
List your options
Name every real option you have — including 'do nothing' or 'wait.' Most decision analyses miss the 'do nothing' option, which is often the most important one to evaluate.
Ask AI for pros, cons, and risks
For each option, ask AI: what are the genuine upsides, the genuine downsides, and the risks that could make this much worse than expected? Ask for honesty, not reassurance.
Ask AI to steelman the option you are NOT leaning toward
Steelmanning means making the strongest possible case for an argument. Ask AI to steelman the option you are not naturally drawn to. This is the most powerful step. It is where you find out if your lean is based on good reasons or bias.
Ask what you might be missing
Ask: 'What am I not considering? What might I be missing or underweighting here?' This is where AI catches what you could not catch yourself — because you do not know what you do not know.
Make the decision yourself
You have the analysis. Now you decide. AI gave you the clearest possible picture — but the decision belongs to you. Your values, your risk tolerance, your life context are factors only you can weigh.
Interactive Exercise
About 12 minutes · ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini
Pick a real decision you are currently weighing — something with two or more real options where you are not yet fully committed. Use the prompt below and run through all 6 steps in one conversation.
Prompt
I need to decide between [Option A] and [Option B]. Here is my situation: [context]. Walk me through the pros, cons, and risks of each option. Then steelman Option [the one I'm NOT leaning toward]. Finally, tell me what I might be missing or not considering.
Read the steelman carefully. Ask yourself: does this change anything? Is there something in the case for the other option that you had not genuinely weighed? Then make your decision.
Did the steelman of the other option change anything? Is there a real argument for the path you were not taking — one you had not genuinely considered before?
Key Takeaways
The 6-step framework works for any decision: state clearly → list options → pros/cons/risks → steelman the other side → find what you're missing → decide yourself.
Steelmanning is the most powerful step. If the strongest case for the other option does not move you at all, you probably have good reasons for your lean.
'What am I missing?' is an underused question. AI catches blind spots you cannot catch yourself — use it every time.
The framework ends with you deciding. AI improves your decision process — it does not replace your judgment. The call is always yours.
Apply the framework to a decision you have been avoiding.
Everyone has a decision they keep putting off. Often we avoid decisions because we are afraid of what a clear analysis might reveal. Run this framework on your avoided decision. The clarity might feel uncomfortable — but it is better than the ongoing weight of not deciding.
What's Next
When to Trust AI and When to Override It
Think with AI · Guide 12 of 12 · Intermediate · 8 min