Lesson 9 of 10 · ⚡ Impact: High · Difficulty: Medium · ⏱ ~2 min
Why it matters
Like any sharp collaborator, the AI will occasionally say something with total confidence that simply isn't true — a made-up stat, a quote no one said, a feature that doesn't exist. We call it a wobble, and catching it before it reaches a client is a genuine skill.
The tells
Suspiciously specific numbers with no source ("conversions rose 37%")
Quotes, studies, awards or campaigns that sound real and citable
Anything it couldn't actually know — live figures, very recent events, what a named competitor did last week
The move, levelled up
Good — take the draft on trust
Sharper — skim for anything that sounds too confident
Flow — ask "where's that from?" and verify any stat, name or quote before it leaves the building
Now you try
On your next output with a number in it, ask "where's that from?" — and if the facts matter, give the AI the real figures up front. It's far better at shaping your data than inventing its own.
Remember: confident doesn't mean correct. Your name's on the work, not the AI's.
Next → 10. Kill the sludge