MAX’S NOTES
How to compare two document versions with AI
Ask for changes with supporting passages from both versions. That makes the answer checkable and helps separate moved sections from changes in meaning.
To compare document versions with AI, clearly label the old and new versions, ask it to match their contents and request support for each change. Check the output against both originals: a list of differences does not guarantee that everything was found.
OpenAI lists comparing two files as a ChatGPT file-upload use case. What can be processed depends on the content, selected model and available tools. [1] If your environment cannot accept the files, you can paste two labelled text excerpts for a short example.
Prepare the versions
Use clear labels such as “A — previous instructions” and “B — new instructions.” Do not expect the model to infer the order from a filename like “final_latest_2.”
Specify whether you need changes in deadlines, actions, conditions or wording. For a long document, identify the sections to check. Do not call the comparison complete when you provided excerpts only.
Before sharing, make sure the selected tool is permitted for those materials.
A prompt to adapt
Compare text A with text B. For each change you find, give the subject, a short passage from A, a short passage from B and an explanation of the difference. List added and removed conditions separately. Flag uncertain matches between sections. Do not invent missing text. At the end, state which material was compared and what remains to be checked.
This is an editorial template. Asking for coverage does not automatically establish completeness; compare that claim with the originals.
A fictional example
Text A: “Pass requests must be submitted by 12:00 on the working day before the visit. The coordinator sends confirmation.”
Text B: “Pass requests must be submitted by 15:00 two working days before the visit. The coordinator sends confirmation.”
The expected difference for manual checking is:
Both the time and the number of days changed. The old deadline was 12:00 on the preceding working day; the new one is 15:00 two working days beforehand. The person sending confirmation is unchanged.
A response mentioning only 12:00 becoming 15:00 misses an important part of the revision. The example and expected comparison were written by the editorial team; no product test was performed.
Check each reported change
Locate quoted passages in the originals. Verify numbers, units, negations and conditions. Check whether moving a section was incorrectly reported as removing and adding it.
Also select important sections absent from the output and compare them yourself. Otherwise, your review covers only what the model chose to show.
Use the result as a review draft
Keep both versions, the comparison date and your notes together. Approving a revised working document is a separate decision.
Finding a wording change and judging its consequences are different tasks. This example compares access instructions; it is not an assessment of a document's legal effect.