AI Response Transparency Using Intermediate Query Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users lack transparency and trust in AI assistant decision-making processes, leading to unnecessary consumption of computing resources as they seek to verify the accuracy and reliability of AI responses.

Innovation Solution

Provide intermediate response data to users during the generation of AI responses, allowing them to understand the reasoning behind the AI's output, thereby enhancing trust and reducing the need for repetitive queries.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If AI assistants perform complex decision-making processes, then the quality and accuracy of AI responses are improved, but the transparency and trustworthiness of the system deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of AI responseVSAvoidtransparency of decision-making process
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the AI decision-making process into multiple intermediate steps and displays them to the user. Instead of showing only the final response, the system breaks down the complex reasoning into manageable intermediate responses that reveal how the AI arrived at its conclusion, thereby maintaining accuracy while improving transparency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediate responses as mediators between the user's query and the final AI response. These intermediate responses serve as a bridge that explains the reasoning process, allowing users to understand the AI's decision-making without sacrificing the quality of the final answer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If users verify the accuracy of AI responses through additional queries, then the trustworthiness of information is improved, but the consumption of computing resources increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrustworthiness of informationVSAvoidcomputing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by providing intermediate reasoning steps along with the AI response. This allows users to verify the accuracy and trustworthiness of the information in advance, without needing to submit additional queries for verification, thereby reducing computing resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to users in the form of intermediate responses that explain the reasoning process. This feedback mechanism allows users to assess the reliability of the AI response immediately, reducing the need for repetitive queries and minimizing additional computing resource usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If intermediate response data is provided to users, then user trust and understanding are improved, but the complexity of the system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser trust in AI responseVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent manages system complexity by segmenting the intermediate reasoning process into structured, manageable components. Each intermediate response represents a discrete step in the reasoning process, making it easier to implement and manage while still providing comprehensive transparency to users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20260004164A1Providing intermediate response data in association with artificial intelligence responses
Publication Date: 2026.01.01 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • US20260004164A1 patent drawing
  • US20260004164A1 patent drawing
  • US20260004164A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, computer systems, and computer storage media are provided for providing intermediate response data in association with AI responses. In embodiments, an input prompt provided via a user interface is obtained. Based on the input prompt, intermediate response data used to generate an artificial intelligence (AI) response to the input prompt is identified. Such intermediate response data may include context data, query data, source data, and/or query results data. Such intermediate response data may be provided for presentation, via the user interface, in association with the AI response. In this way, a user may be provided with information related to a manner in which the AI response is generated.