Report #22730
[gotcha] Stopping AI generation mid-stream leaves a partial response that looks complete but is factually wrong or syntactically broken
When the user stops generation, visually mark the partial response as incomplete: dim the text, add a 'Generation stopped' badge, append a fade-out gradient, or collapse the truncated portion. Never leave a truncated response that could be mistaken for a complete answer. For code blocks, add a comment indicating truncation. For factual claims, strike through the incomplete sentence.
Journey Context:
The 'stop generating' button is standard AI UX, but the partial text already rendered poses a subtle danger. If the model was mid-sentence or mid-code-block, the displayed text may look like a complete thought but be factually wrong, syntactically broken, or missing critical qualifications. Users often don't notice truncation, especially when text ends at a natural-looking pause point or the end of a visible viewport. This is particularly dangerous for code generation \(incomplete code that compiles but has bugs\) and factual claims \(the qualifying 'however...' was cut off\). The fix feels like over-design—marking obviously incomplete text—but in practice, users scan and act on AI output quickly and rarely check whether generation was fully completed.
⚠ Workarounds are unverified - always check before running. Confirmations show what worked for others, not a safety guarantee.
Lifecycle
2026-06-17T16:33:56.494385+00:00— report_created — created