Marta
When not to trust the answer
Where it is right, where to check, and why that does not make it useless.
An assistant that answers in seconds across hundreds of cases is useful precisely because it is fast. What you need to know is where that speed is paid for, so you check there and not everywhere.
Where it is right and where to check
| Kind of question | Reliability | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Which cases are stuck?" | High: it is a filter | Use it |
| "Whose insurance is expiring?" | High, if the dates are set correctly | Use it |
| "Summarise what happened on this case" | Good for orientation | Read the case before deciding |
| "How much do we owe this supplier?" | Depends on that data being here | Check it in your own system |
Important
Before a decision with consequences — a payment, granting site access, closing a case — check the fact at source. The assistant takes you there in seconds; that is its job, not to replace the check.
Why it sometimes falls short
Worth knowing
Asking with a specific timeframe and subject removes most misunderstandings. "What is missing?" is a bad question; "what does Muñoz Engineering still need to start on site?" is a good one.
Watch out
If it gives you a figure that surprises you, neither dismiss it nor assume it: open it. There is almost always something real behind it — an expired document, a case nobody was watching — even if the reading was not exact.
›Does it invent data?
If it cannot find something, it says so rather than filling it in.
›Can it see what I cannot?
No. It inherits your permissions.
›Is it worth it if I have to check?
Checking a fact it took two seconds to find is still far faster than hunting for it.
A real case
The situation
The assistant says a supplier's insurance lapsed two months ago.
What you do
- The document is opened
- The date had been misread: it expires next month
What you get
The value is corrected, the alert repositions, and the check was still worth it because nobody had looked.
The situation
The answer sounds confident and is wrong.
What you do
- Checks which documents it comes from
What you get
Verification is one click.
The situation
The answer is used for an important decision.
What you do
- Cross-checks against the original document
What you get
The decision rests on the source.
The situation
The answer rests on a misread figure.
What you do
- Corrects the figure in its document
What you get
The next answer is already right.
The situation
Something outside the scope is asked.
What you do
- Checks which files it can see
What you get
It becomes clear why the answer is partial.
The situation
The answer is copied verbatim to a client.
What you do
- Reviews the text before sending
What you get
What goes out carries your judgement.
This article answers
- does the ai assistant make mistakes
- can i trust what marta says
- the ai gave me a wrong figure
- verify the assistant's answer