AI makes people more confident challenging professional advice, survey finds

The survey revealed that 53% of respondents use AI to check answers and information from experts before deciding whether they can agree with it. Nearly half, 46%, said professional credentials don't hold the same reputation as they once did, thanks to AI making it much easier to verify an expert's response. The report says this shows an interesting change in how expert information is received: no longer is it something accepted at face value. Credentials might indicate experience and knowledge, but don't necessarily mean everything said should be accepted without further confirmation.

There is a notable generational divide. While 70% of adults aged 18 to 34 are more comfortable asking questions that challenge professional advice after checking an AI chatbot response, that figure drops to 49% among those over 45. The survey also lists managers, journalists, and economists as other professionals people are more likely to challenge.

Use.AI described the 'expertise recession' as evidence of the decline in automatic deference. In the report, co-founder and CEO Ihor Herasymov said: 'AI has democratized confidence faster than it has democratised knowledge. Someone can use AI to arrive at better questions without becoming qualified to judge the answers.' The company said the gap between confidence and competence will continue to grow in importance as more people use AI for information searches and fact checks.