01
The real failure mode
The hard part of AI-assisted writing is not fluent text. It is keeping the line between supplied evidence and plausible invention. A useful system makes missing information visible instead of smoothing it over.
02
Constrain the loop
Split retrieval, drafting, critique and revision into separate steps with typed output. Carry provenance with every claim, restrict sources to an allow-list, and bound the number of revision rounds so critique cannot become an invisible infinite process.
03
Grade with rules first
Before reaching for a model-as-judge, write the checks you can state precisely: length, sources, traceable numbers, forbidden phrasing, subjects that must never appear. Deterministic audits are cheap, explainable and do not drift.
04
Keep the human in the final action
The workflow can stream progress and produce a reviewable result, but a person decides what is used or published. That is a product boundary, not an unfinished autonomy feature.