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Andrej Karpathy’s reported advice is to change not only what you ask a language model, but how it presents the answer: request controlled-English prose, a diagram, an HTML page, or a custom explainer video. Each format can make an explanation easier to inspect for a particular task; none guarantees that its claims are correct.
What does “write like an aircraft manual” mean?
It means asking for a style inspired by ASD-STE100, or Simplified Technical English (STE), a controlled technical-writing standard associated with aircraft maintenance documentation. Its rules and limited vocabulary aim to make technical writing clear and consistent. Search Engine Journal reported in 2026 that ASD describes a dictionary of about 900 approved words, most with one meaning. The count here is attributed to that report; the official FAQ link cited in it was not independently accessible.
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Search Engine Journal reports that Karpathy says language models know the standard and that its “heavy constraints on clean writing style” can make text “a lot more readable.” He sometimes asks for “80% of the way to ASD-STE100,” because full compliance is stringent. These are his reported observations, not results from a measured readability study.
STE is not a universal writing style. The article reports that the standard’s FAQ says it is not intended for general writing. You can still borrow practical habits—short sentences, one topic per sentence, and active voice—without calling the result STE-compliant. A prompt cannot certify compliance with the standard.
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How to ask an LLM for controlled-English prose
State the intended reader and task, then specify the writing constraints. For example:
Explain how a home router assigns an IP address to a non-expert. Use short, direct sentences and active voice. Keep one main idea in each sentence. Define technical terms. Do not omit important conditions or warnings. After the explanation, list claims that should be checked against a reliable source.This asks for an STE-inspired explanation, not formal STE. Review whether the shorter wording preserves conditions, exceptions, and technical meaning. Simplification can make a sentence easier to scan while also removing a qualification that matters.
A community GitHub skill offers another way to apply selected STE-inspired rules to agent-facing text. Its README says it excludes the official dictionary, is not meant for marketing copy, and uses a structural linter that cannot prove a rewrite retained the original meaning. It is a helper, not a substitute for the standard or a factual reviewer: GitHub repository README.
Which output format fits the explanation?
| Format | Useful when | What to review |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled-English prose | Short, direct instructions or explanations matter. | Check that simplification has not removed a condition, warning, or key meaning. |
| Diagram | Relationships, structure, or process flow are easier to inspect visually. | Verify labels, connections, sequence, and omissions against the source material. |
| HTML page | Navigation, layout, visualizations, interaction, or sharing would help. | Check both the content and that links, controls, and other behavior work as intended. |
| Explainer video | Narration and a sequence of scenes would help teach the topic. | Check the narration, visuals, sequence, and factual claims; verify any tool requirements. |
Karpathy’s reported suggestions treat these formats as presentation choices. The sources do not provide an accuracy test showing that a diagram, webpage, or video is more reliable than prose.
When a diagram is the better choice
Ask for a diagram when the answer depends on how parts relate or what happens next. A network layout, a decision tree, or a multi-step process may be easier to inspect visually than in a long paragraph. Tell the model what the diagram should show and who will read it; then check every label and relationship. Visual organization can expose structure, but it can also make an incorrect relationship look authoritative.
When to request an HTML explainer
HTML can be useful when a topic benefits from a navigable page, visualizations, or interaction. Thariq Shihipar’s May 20, 2026 Claude Code post describes these uses in his team’s workflow. It is a practitioner account, not a controlled comparison proving HTML is always better than Markdown: Using Claude Code: The unreasonable effectiveness of HTML.
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For a useful request, specify the reader, the sections, and the interactions that serve the explanation. Ask for a self-contained page if that suits your use, and inspect the resulting text as well as its behavior. Extra layout or code can make a page harder to maintain without improving understanding.
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A video can help when spoken narration and ordered scenes support the topic. Search Engine Journal’s account of Karpathy’s example describes asking for a “3b1b style” explainer and references an ElevenLabs API key for narration; it also says users can request free local alternatives. That makes the narration service an optional component of the example, not a requirement for generating an explanation.
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Check the finished video as a complete argument: confirm that the narration matches the visuals, the sequence does not skip necessary steps, and claims remain accurate. Polished pacing or graphics do not establish correctness.
How to review any model-generated explanation
- Choose the format for the task. Use prose for direct instructions, a diagram for relationships or flow, HTML for navigation or interaction, and video when narration and sequence help.
- Ask for an appropriate level of constraint. Request STE-inspired wording when clarity is the goal, and avoid describing an output as compliant unless it has been checked against the standard.
- Check the content, not just the presentation. Verify important claims and confirm that simplification, visual layout, or narration has not changed the meaning.
- Inspect the format itself. Check diagram labels and connections, HTML links and controls, or video narration and scene order.
Karpathy’s larger point, as quoted by Search Engine Journal, is that “a lot more of our work will rise up the abstractions into oversight and understanding.” In practice, asking a model for a different presentation changes what you need to inspect; it does not remove the need for review. Search Engine Journal attributes these remarks to Karpathy in its October 2, 2026 article: OpenAI Founding Member: Make LLMs Write Like An Aircraft Manual.
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