Repetition with variation: the same check, four different jobs

A plant photo, a product spec, a news summary, a price comparison. Four very different questions, one identical check. Practise it until it is a reflex, and finish by choosing between two answers about AI pricing.

In this lesson you will

Apply the same check to four different kinds of AI answer
Recognise that the check does not change with the subject
Choose the trustworthy answer in a price comparison, and say why

The check you have learned is short: find the claims, sort them into date, number, name and quote, check each against a source that is not a model. What makes it a habit is discovering that it is the same check whether you are looking at a photo of a leaf or a table of subscription prices. Four examples, one routine.

Four jobs, one check. The subject changes; the routine does not.
You asked the AI…	What it might get wrong	The claims to pull out	Where to check
"What plant is this?" (a photo)	A confident species name for a look-alike; a care instruction that would kill it	Name (species); numbers (watering, light); any "toxic to pets" claim	A botanical garden or agricultural extension page for that species — and a second photo comparison
"Summarise this product spec"	A figure carried over from an older model; a feature the product does not have	Numbers (capacity, weight, battery); names (model number, version); dates (release)	The manufacturer's spec page for that exact model number
"Summarise this news story"	A person's role wrong; a quote composed; a figure rounded into a different claim	Names and roles; every number; every quote; the date of the event	The original article and the primary source it cites
"Which AI plan is cheapest for me?"	Last year's price; a limit that changed; a feature on the wrong plan	Numbers (prices, limits); names (plan and model names); a date for "current"	Each vendor's own pricing page, today — or a tracker that says when it last checked

Your turn

Turn any AI answer into a checklist

Paste the answer you want to check

Here is an answer an AI gave me:

[AI ANSWER]

List every factual claim in it as a separate line. Mark each one as either "checkable" (a date, number, name or quote I could verify) or "opinion". For each checkable claim, name the official source I should look at.

Hint: Yes, you are using an AI to prepare the check of an AI. That is fine — it is extracting claims, not judging them. The judging is yours, at the source.

The last comparison

Someone asks: *"Is Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus better value?"* Two answers. Apply the check before you choose.

Which would you trust?

Which answer should you trust more?

Lesson FAQ

Can AI identify a plant from a photo reliably?

Often, and sometimes confidently wrong for a look-alike. Treat the species name as a lead: compare with photos on a botanical garden or extension service page for that species before acting on any care or toxicity advice.

How do I check an AI price comparison?

Pull out every price, limit and plan name, then open each vendor's own pricing page today. Prices are fairly stable; usage limits change often and are the usual error. A comparison that gives a date and a source is the one to prefer.

Is it safe to use AI to summarise news?

For getting the gist, yes. For repeating any figure, name or quote from the summary, open the original article first. Composed quotes and wrong roles are the two most common errors in news summaries.

What is the one thing to remember from this course?

AI is the final authority for nothing. Find the dates, numbers, names and quotes; check each against the organisation speaking for itself; treat everything else as a draft. It takes a minute and it works on every model, every plan, every year.

The last comparison

Lesson FAQ

Stop overpaying for AI tools