When the AI fails halfway, say what happened and what's next

The assistant couldn't read part of a PDF.

An error says what happened and what to do next.

Weak version: AI fails halfway — **Weak**"Something went wrong" and a retry that will fail again.

Strong version: AI fails halfway — **Strong**Names the page, the risk and two ways forward.

How to apply it

Say which part failed and which part worked.
Keep the partial result instead of throwing it away.
Offer the next step, like a retry or a different file, right in the message.

Where it breaks

When the error hides that the answer is now partial.

Related patterns

Long AI wait · Show progress. Give control.
Agent takes a money action · Money actions need a way back.
Model isn't sure · Don't show a percent. Ask the question that decides.
Confident answer, no source · A claim without a source is a guess.
All 10 AI UX patterns

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