Skill Readiness

Evaluation & Human Judgement

Trusted sources and unsupported claims

Know what to do when AI makes a strong claim without evidence or when outputs disagree.

4 min readEvaluation

Workplace example

Unsupported forecast

Two tools disagree on a forecast. A capable employee asks what data each used, what assumptions were made, and whether the source quality is strong enough for the decision.

What this means

  • A strong claim needs evidence before it is used in work.
  • If two AI tools disagree, inspect their assumptions, source quality, and evidence rather than choosing the shorter or more polished answer.
  • Trusted sources depend on the task: policy documents, approved data, expert review, current records, or authoritative public sources.

Why it matters

  • AI can state unsupported claims confidently.
  • Conflicting outputs often reveal hidden assumptions or weak source material.
  • Important decisions need traceable evidence, not just plausible text.

Common mistakes

  • Using claims because they match what the team expected.
  • Averaging two AI forecasts without understanding the assumptions.
  • Asking for a confidence score instead of checking evidence.

What good judgement looks like

  • Verify strong claims before use.
  • Ask for sources, assumptions, and uncertainty.
  • Use subject-matter review when the evidence is weak or stakes are high.

Try this at work

  • Find one factual claim in an AI answer.
  • Check it against a trusted source.
  • Write whether the claim is supported, unsupported, or uncertain.

How this helps your reassessment

  • You know how to respond to unsupported claims.
  • You inspect assumptions when outputs conflict.
  • You treat evidence quality as more important than tone.

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