When to use it
Use it when an AI answer will affect a customer, a budget or a team. You do not need it for every answer. Good advice can be used quickly when the evidence supports it.
The checklist
| Question | Your notes |
|---|---|
| What decision am I about to make? | |
| Which claim in the answer matters most to that decision? | |
| Where does that claim come from? Can I see the original source? | |
| What could the answer have left out? Who would know? | |
| What happens if the answer is wrong? Who is affected? | |
| What check is worth doing, given that cost? | |
| What will I do: use the answer, change it, challenge it or ask someone with authority to decide? | |
| Who owns the result, and when will we review it? |
Why this matters
A convincing answer can still be wrong. In one experiment, people using AI on a task outside its ability were less likely to reach the right recommendation than people without AI. Their wrong recommendations were also rated as more persuasive. Read the research summary.
The same study found that AI helped on tasks it handled well. The aim is to check where it matters, not to check everything.