# AI Hybrid Generation Workflow

## Goal

Allow admins to generate either:

- a single AI question
- or multiple AI questions in one run

without losing control over the quality of each generated item.

The system should support both precision workflows and exploration workflows.

## Core Principle

Generation request and generated items must be treated as different things.

That means:

1. One admin action creates a **generation run**
2. One generation run can produce one or many **generated variants**
3. Each generated variant remains an individually reviewable item

This is the cleanest way to support both single and bulk generation.

## Why This Is Better

Admins do not always have the same intent.

### Precision mode

The admin wants:

- one strong output
- high control
- easy review

This is best served by single generation.

### Exploration mode

The admin wants:

- multiple candidates
- idea exploration
- later curation

This is best served by bulk generation.

A rigid one-size-fits-all generation flow is worse for both modes.

## Recommended Model

### Parent / Basis Question

The canonical source or promoted basis item.

### Generation Run

Represents one AI request.

Suggested fields:

- parent question id
- source question version id
- target difficulty
- requested count
- model
- prompt version
- created by
- created at
- optional operator notes

### Generated Variant

Each output item from the generation run.

Suggested fields:

- generation run id
- parent question id
- source version id
- difficulty
- status
- stem
- options
- answer
- explanation
- review notes
- reviewer
- reviewed at

## Required Lifecycle

Each generated item must be individually manageable.

Suggested statuses:

- `draft`
- `approved`
- `rejected`
- `archived`
- `stale`

This is required even when a run generates many items at once.

## UX Principle

Do not treat bulk output as one indivisible package.

Bulk generation should be:

- one producer action
- many independently reviewable outputs

This means the admin can:

- approve 2 items
- reject 1 item
- archive 1 item
- regenerate only one item

from the same generation run.

## Recommended Admin UX

Inside the parent question page:

### Generation Form

- target difficulty
- model
- count
- optional notes or style instructions
- generate button

### Guidance Text

The system should guide, not over-restrict.

Recommended copy:

- “You can generate one or many variants in one run.”
- “Recommended: 1–3 variants per run for better consistency and easier review.”
- “Larger runs may reduce cost per item but increase overlap, correlated mistakes, and review effort.”

### Result View

After generation, show each item separately with actions:

- approve
- reject
- archive
- edit
- regenerate this item
- compare with parent

## Recommendation vs Restriction

The product should not hard-limit normal admin workflow at very low counts like 2 or 3.

Instead:

- provide recommendation text in the UI
- allow single and bulk generation
- preserve admin control

However, the backend should still apply a technical safety ceiling.

Example:

- no UX hard limit at 2 or 3
- backend safety limit at something like 20 or 50

This is not a workflow restriction. It is abuse and cost protection.

## Recommended Count Guidance

### 1 item

Best for:

- high quality
- careful review
- final production-ready generation

### 2–3 items

Best default.

Good balance of:

- cost
- quality
- review effort

### 4–8 items

Useful for exploration.

Tradeoff:

- more candidate variety
- heavier review burden
- higher chance of repeated structure and correlated errors

### More than 8 items

Should still be allowed if product policy permits, but treated as exploration mode.

The UI should warn that:

- review effort increases
- quality consistency may drop
- variants may become repetitive

## Cost and Quality Insight

Bulk generation can reduce cost per item because:

- parent context is sent once
- prompt overhead is amortized

But quality risk increases because:

- errors can repeat across all outputs in a run
- structure can become too similar
- weaker prompts can produce multiple low-quality siblings

So the best product design is:

- permit bulk
- recommend lower counts
- review outputs individually

## Recommended Policy

1. Allow both single and bulk generation
2. Keep generated items reviewable one-by-one
3. Store lineage through generation run metadata
4. Provide UI recommendations instead of rigid low hard caps
5. Enforce only a high backend safety cap
6. Keep parent question as the operational center of the workflow

## Product Direction

The ideal flow is:

1. Admin opens parent question
2. Admin chooses difficulty, model, and count
3. System creates one generation run
4. System creates one or many generated child variants
5. Admin reviews each child separately
6. Admin approves, rejects, archives, or regenerates per item

This gives:

- low friction
- high control
- strong auditability
- better quality governance
- flexibility for different admin intents