AI CONSULTING & AUTOMATION / A PRACTICAL ANSWER
How do you prepare a knowledge base for an AI assistant?
The short answer
Prepare an AI knowledge base by improving the source information and its ownership before connecting an assistant to it. The system needs authorised, relevant and maintainable material. A large document collection does not automatically provide a reliable basis for answers, especially when versions conflict or permissions are unclear.
What to establish
Inventory the information, identify current owners and resolve duplicate or outdated versions. Clarify which audiences may use each source and what the content can support. Decide how updates, removals and access changes will reach the assistant's information pipeline.
How to assess readiness
Test real questions against the available material. Record missing answers and disagreements rather than encouraging the model to fill the gaps. Evaluate whether the system can find the appropriate source and communicate when the evidence is insufficient.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE / NOT A CLIENT RESULT
Make it concrete.
If two internal policy documents give different instructions, a better prompt cannot decide which one the organisation has authorised. Resolving source ownership and versioning is part of readiness, not an optional cleanup after the assistant launches.
Before you commission
- Assign current sources and accountable owners.
- Resolve versions and permission boundaries.
- Test realistic questions and record information gaps.
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Further reading
FROM THE QUESTION TO THE WORK
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