Flashcards Are Good. “Gap” Cards Are Better.

Get AI to create flashcards that only cover what you don’t already know.

TL;DR

Chatbots can identify gaps in your knowledge, so have them tailor flashcards to your blind spots.

The friction

The moment ChatGPT came out, someone looked at it and said: “I’m gonna use this thing to cheat on exams learn new stuff!”

And AI companies ran with the idea, positioning chatbots as tutors and note takers.

I even did a fun test of three dedicated AI study modes last year.

One obvious use case for AI chatbots is to create flashcards for your study topics. Claude can code up polished flashcard decks, ChatGPT launched interactive flashcards about a week ago, and Gemini Notebook has had flashcards as an output choice ever since its early NotebookLM days:

But flashcards are only useful if they focus on things you don’t already know, while chatbots tend to generate decks that cover the entire broad topic by default.

Fortunately, chatbots are also good at figuring out what you don’t know.

The fix

The next time you’re asking an AI agent or chatbot for flashcards, try this:

Prompt: I want to fully understand [topic / URL / attached material]. Help me find and fill the gaps in what I know.

1. Ask me around 10 questions, one at a time, to gauge my understanding. Have me explain things in my own words, and adapt each question to my previous answer. Don’t tell me if I’m right or wrong yet.

2. Group my answers into topic areas and show me a table: each topic with a score out of 5, and a one-line note on what I’m missing. End with a concise verdict on what you see as my biggest gaps and ask me to confirm.

3. Make a flashcard deck that covers just those gaps, with as many cards as each gap needs.

This lets the chatbot establish your current level of knowledge and also helps you reflect on your own weak spots.

And when you’re done, you’ll know exactly where your gaps are and have a ready-made flashcard deck to practice those.

As a test, I had Claude grill me on my knowledge of puppy training, and here was the verdict:

I now have an interactive deck of 37 flashcards specifically about my gaps:

So Ozzy is in good hands, even if his board game skills aren’t quite up to scratch yet:

You were supposed to roll a 6, dude! Fair dog. Fair!

And it’s not just for classic student stuff, either. You can use this for:

• Understanding an online article, research paper, etc.

• Brushing up on your knowledge of a client, company, product, and more.

• Completing certifications or online courses

• …and anything else that requires you to know stuff

Whether you’re brand-new to a topic or a near-expert, AI will figure out your baseline and see where you still need help.

Do this now

1. Pick something you’d like to brush up on (ideally a topic you actually know reasonably well)

2. Paste the prompt into your chatbot/agent of choice

3. Go through the process to identify your gaps and create “gap cards”

4. Flip through the resulting deck

Did you get a deck of relevant cards that helps you practice your weak points?

Know someone who could use this? Share it!

Dig deeper

The above prompt is great for one-off flashcard decks.

But I also built a self-installing “Gap Cards” skill for your AI agent.

It remembers your past gaps, can re-test you on them later, exports your decks to flashcard apps like Anki or Quizlet, and charts your progress as you go:

Paid subscribers can grab the skill below:

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