# AIP004 — contradictory-tone
**Category:** clarity **Severity:** warning
## What
Detects contradictory tone instructions in the prompt.
## Why it matters
Models cannot be simultaneously concise and detailed, formal and casual. These conflicts create ambiguity about what you actually want.
## Example
```
Be concise. Provide detailed explanations.
```
These instructions pull in opposite directions.
## Fix
Pick one or reframe:
```
Be concise but thorough. Explain each point briefly.
```
Or choose context: "Be concise in code, detailed in prose."