Self-Critique | HyperKit.ai

Definition

Self-critique prompts the model to evaluate and criticize its own output before or after generation. By explicitly asking for problems, weaknesses, or improvements, the model can identify issues it might not catch in a single pass.

This technique leverages the model's ability to analyze text critically, turning it inward on its own responses.

Key Concepts

Critical analysis: Identifying weaknesses in generated content
Error detection: Finding factual or logical mistakes
Quality assessment: Rating output against criteria
Improvement suggestions: Proposing specific fixes

Examples

Basic Pattern

Critique After Generation

Step 1 - Generate:
"Write an explanation of photosynthesis."

Response: "Photosynthesis is when plants eat sunlight
to make food. They breathe in CO2 and breathe out oxygen."

Step 2 - Critique:
"Critique this explanation. What's imprecise, missing,
or potentially misleading?"

Critique:
- "Eat sunlight" is imprecise - plants absorb light energy
- Missing: role of chlorophyll and chloroplasts
- Missing: water as a reactant
- "Breathe" anthropomorphizes the process
- No mention of glucose as the product
- Oversimplified to the point of inaccuracy

Step 3 - Revise based on critique (optional)

Structured Critique

With Evaluation Criteria

Critique this code review response using these criteria:

Criteria:
1. Technical accuracy (1-5)
2. Actionability of feedback (1-5)
3. Tone appropriateness (1-5)
4. Completeness (1-5)

Response to critique:
"The code looks fine. Maybe add some comments."

Critique:
1. Technical accuracy: 2/5
   - No specific technical analysis provided
   - "Looks fine" is not a technical assessment

2. Actionability: 1/5
   - "Add some comments" is vague
   - Which parts need comments? What kind?

3. Tone: 3/5
   - Neutral but unhelpful
   - Could be more constructive

4. Completeness: 1/5
   - No mention of: error handling, edge cases,
     performance, naming, structure, tests

Overall: This review is inadequate and needs significant
improvement across all criteria.

Interactive Exercise

✎

Write a Self-Critique

Critique this AI-generated response:

Question: "What causes rain?"
Response: "Rain happens when clouds get too heavy."

Pro Tips

Provide specific criteria for more targeted critique
Ask for severity ratings (minor, moderate, critical)
Request improvement suggestions alongside criticism
Combine with self-refine for automatic correction

Definition

Key Concepts

Examples

Interactive Exercise

Related Terms