Don't just use AI: Have context!

Lately, I have met many people with impressive ideas supported by beautifully written proposals and presentations. The language is excellent, the structure is perfect, and the recommendations sound as though they come from someone with 20 years of professional experience. Yet when I ask a few simple questions—such as why they recommended a particular idea or whether it would work in the Omani market—I suddenly see their confidence drop. Why? The document was impressive! Then I realise they lacked context: the underlying understanding behind what they were presenting. Using AI to produce work for you may help you look and sound professional, but without context, I promise that trouble is just around the corner.

I bet you have noticed or can relate to this, too. Emails read as if written by corporate communications experts. Presentations look as though they belong in a boardroom. Proposals are filled with strategic language, and even students present like the CFO of a conglomerate. People who once struggled to structure a report are suddenly producing outstanding work. The common denominator? Artificial intelligence used without context, knowledge, expertise, or an understanding of the subject or project in question.

Let me be clear: I am not against AI. I encourage people to use it, and I use it myself. It is a powerful tool that helps us think, write, learn, and work more efficiently. However, I am beginning to see a clear difference between people who use AI to enhance their existing capabilities and those who use it to create an impression of capabilities they have not yet developed.

The problem is not using AI; the problem is confusing its output with our own understanding. Imagine asking someone to prepare a business development strategy. They submit a document containing a market analysis, customer segmentation, revenue projections, and an impressive implementation roadmap. Everything looks professional. But when you ask which three customers the company should approach first, what the sales cycle might look like in Oman, or how the targets were calculated, they go blank, and their confidence begins to fade.

AI helped them produce the document, but it did not necessarily help them understand the business. That is concerning because, as I have written in previous articles, total reliance on AI may ultimately create less capable thinkers.

So, how can we spot when someone is using AI to sound more knowledgeable than they actually are?

First, look for the gap between output and explanation. Someone may present a sophisticated proposal but struggle to explain its recommendations. Ask them to describe the main idea in plain language. Real understanding usually survives simplification—trust me.

Second, ask follow-up questions that require contextual understanding. AI can generate excellent general recommendations, but applying them requires knowledge of the organisation, its customers, its budget, its culture, and its market. Ask what assumptions were made, what could go wrong, and why one option is better than another. Context is where generic knowledge meets real-world experience. Without it, it becomes obvious who the true author is: not the person, but the machine.

Third, look for evidence behind confident statements. A polished report may contain statistics, industry trends, and ambitious targets. Ask where the numbers came from, how the assumptions were tested, and whether the recommendations reflect the actual situation. Professional formatting does not guarantee professional judgement.

Finally, observe what happens beyond the prepared material. Can they adapt their thinking when you challenge an assumption? Can they defend a decision, acknowledge uncertainty, or suggest an alternative? These are far more meaningful indicators of competence than perfect slides.

Having said that, none of these signs definitively proves someone used AI, let alone that they lack ability. Some excellent professionals are simply better writers than speakers, and others just need time to reflect before answering.

In my humble opinion, the real challenge is not identifying who uses AI. It is learning to distinguish between those who use it as a thinking partner and those who use it as a substitute for thinking.

AI can make almost anyone sound professional. But when the presentation ends, the questions begin, and the real-world challenges arrive. A beautiful answer is impressive, but knowing why it is the right answer is what truly makes you a professional. So, don't just use AI—understand what it gives you.

Until we catch up again next week, stay relevant!