Generation is easy. Verification is not.
Large language models are remarkably good at producing plausible text. That's precisely the problem. Plausible is not the same as correct, and in enterprise settings where outputs reach clients, regulators, and leadership, the distinction carries real consequences.
Most teams have figured out how to prompt. Fewer have built the habit of systematically verifying what comes back.
What verification looks like in practice
Verification is not a single action. It's a short sequence of checks that should become reflexive:
- Factual accuracy: Are the claims true? Can they be traced to a reliable source?
- Logical consistency: Does the argument hold together, or has the model stitched plausible-sounding sentences into a contradictory narrative?
- Tone and audience fit: Would this land correctly with the intended reader?
- Completeness: Has anything material been left out or subtly misrepresented?
Why teams skip it
Three forces work against verification:
- Speed pressure: The whole point of GenAI is to go faster. Adding a verification step feels like giving back the time savings.
- Confidence bias: Well-written outputs feel trustworthy. The better the model writes, the harder it is to question the content.
- No shared standard: Without an agreed checklist, verification becomes a personal judgment call. Some people check rigorously; others glance and send.
Building the habit
The solution is not to slow teams down. It is to embed lightweight verification checkpoints into the workflow so the check happens as part of the process, not as an afterthought.
This means:
- Scenario-based practice: Giving people outputs that contain subtle errors and asking them to find them, building pattern recognition.
- Templates with built-in prompts: Work artifacts that include a "before sharing" checklist.
- Team-level standards: Agreeing on what "verified" means for different output types (client email vs. internal summary vs. board memo).
The organizations that get this right won't be the ones with the best prompts. They'll be the ones where every person instinctively checks before they share.