AI can be incredibly helpful, but it can also sound confident while being wrong. The trick isn’t to abandon it—it’s to treat it like a fast assistant who still needs supervision. When something doesn’t pass the smell test, your job is to slow the conversation down and force the model to show its work.
Start with the simplest challenge: ask the AI if it’s sure. That single nudge often prompts it to add context, point out assumptions, or correct itself. You’re basically telling it, “Don’t give me a polished answer—give me a reliable one.” This is especially useful for numbers, claims that sound too clean, and anything involving policies, rules, prices, or “current” facts.
If you still don’t trust the response, escalate to verification. Have the AI confirm the information by searching the web as of the current month and year. This matters because a lot of useful info changes quickly—benefits rules, product features, medical guidance, fees, schedules, and company policies. When the AI pulls sources, don’t stop there. Click through and evaluate quality: Is it an official site, a recognized publication, or a random blog? Is the article recent? Does it actually say what the AI claims it says?
Finally, treat the AI’s answer as a starting point, not the final word. Your goal is confidence, not speed. When you build this habit—challenge, verify, and validate—you’ll get better outcomes and avoid the most common AI mistake: confidently repeating something that isn’t true.
