AI Credibility

AI Credibility

The 5% Rule: Why Unchecked AI is a Credibility Killer

A few years ago, I started hearing about artificial intelligence applications popping up everywhere. As an IT guy, it caught my attention—but I ignored it. I’ve learned that ignoring new technology for a few months often saves me from hype, bad purchases, and expensive mistakes. I think that has saved me from buying the latest gadget, the latest fad. Equal to that, it has saved me a lot of money.

Today, I use AI. I wouldn’t say I’m dependent on it—but I do rely on it at several levels. Where am I dependent on AI? For one, questions. A few months back, I would search Google or Bing, scan multiple results, verify sources, and double-check facts. Now, what I do is ask AI to provide me with its perspective on a subject and I ask it to cite its reference.

What you have to ask AI are not life-altering questions but the menial stuff that you need direction with. For example, as a web developer, I still start by writing a paragraph or two of what I believe should go on the page. The paragraph or paragraphs contain the main gist of what I have in mind.

And then I ask the AI application to either: do a rewrite of what I wrote or get its opinion on what I wrote. It will come out with a polished version of what I wrote. The kicker is this: you have to read, review, and annotate what the AI produces. Mind you, not everything it will write is 100% accurate. That last few percent—the part AI consistently gets wrong—is where most AI credibility is lost.

I remember a person submitted a Tagalog translated document. The individual ran the document through an AI app and translated the word chapter into “kabanata.” The word has several meanings: a branch of an organization, a section of a book, a life stage, or a division in religious or legal texts. He did not review what AI did, signed the document, and submitted it. Everyone reading this can presume the outcome. That single oversight destroyed the AI credibility of the document and the person submitting it.

AI models are trained on massive datasets. You have to be as detailed as possible in telling AI what to do. AI is a powerful co-pilot but it should never be the captain. You tell it what to do but you have to review the information or data it produces.

Remember, you always have to have a “human-in-the-loop” check to catch errors. AI is not perfect even if it seems perfect. It probably does 95% of the work. However, that crucial 5% is what tips the balance. It can make you look like a seasoned operator who knows their craft, or it can make you look like a clown—leaving you with a massive AI credibility gap and a document that is purely and painfully unprofessional for whoever has to read it.

In closing, AI is a brilliant assistant and a dangerous master. Don’t let your AI credibility be tarnished by five minutes of saved time. Your expertise lives in that final 5%. Before you hit submit, make sure everything sounds or reads as it is supposed to. After all, the only thing worse than a mistake is when it becomes pure cringe.

The “Cringe-Proof” Checklist: 5 Steps Before You Hit Submit

Before you sign that document or hit send, run your AI-assisted content through this final 5% AI credibility check:

AI provides the speed, but you, myself, we provide the soul—and the context. Don’t let a 95% great job be ruined by a 5% AI credibility gap.