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Trust me, I’m a robot: how to avoid the pitfalls of AI 

Published September 10, 2025 in AI • 3 min read

The development and adoption of AI are fraught with potential hazards. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls and ensure trust in your systems.

How to build trust in the technology

1.Verify sources

Always ask for and verify the sources or references behind GenAI outputs.

2. Maintain healthy skepticism

Maintain a critical mindset toward GenAI outputs and validate with secondary sources, especially for cybersecurity-related tasks. Using your eyes and ears is still the best way to differentiate between AI-generated and genuine human content.

3. Consult user reviews and feedback

Look for user reviews and documented case studies that illustrate real-world performance and reliability.

4. Request transparency in data sources

Request clarity on the data sources and methodologies used to train AI to assess potential biases thoroughly. Most biased outputs can be traced to training data sets that were not carefully curated, and which were unrepresentative of the group for which the output would be used. 

 

How to build trust in your AI

1. Solve real problems

Avoid investing in AI for its own sake; instead, focus on solving pain points where clear value can be demonstrated.

2. Use model cards and ensure transparency

Utilize model cards to document how your team assesses and mitigates risks (e.g., bias and explainability) and make this information available to users.

3. Audit continuously

Conduct regular audits of AI performance and fairness to identify and address any issues proactively. Bodies such as the European Data Protection Board and the Dutch-based ICT Institute have published helpful checklists on how to conduct such audits.

4. Establish accountability and governance

Define clear accountability structures and governance policies (such as ethics boards and external audits) around your AI systems to bolster user trust.

5. Educate and communicate

Educate your users about how AI works, including its limitations and the measures taken to ensure its reliability, Use clear, jargon-free communication to demystify AI and build trust.

 

Key takeaways

Be careful to balance the rush to grab commercial gains that AI offers with the paramount need for trust. Put in place strong systems that continuously challenge the trustworthiness of the AI you use and with which your customers will interact.

Authors

José Parra-Moyano

José Parra Moyano

Professor of Digital Strategy

José Parra Moyano is Professor of Digital Strategy. He focuses on the management and economics of data and privacy and how firms can create sustainable value in the digital economy. An award-winning teacher, he also founded his own successful startup, was appointed to the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community of young people driving change, and was named on the Forbes ‘30 under 30’ list of outstanding young entrepreneurs in Switzerland. At IMD, he teaches in a variety of programs, such as the MBA and Strategic Finance programs, on the topic of AI, strategy, and Innovation.

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