AI as an accelerator, not the source of truth

The single idea that ties this course together: AI is an accelerator, not the source of truth. The source of truth is the stakeholders, the existing systems, and the documented decisions. AI helps you reach and organize that truth faster; it does not contain it.

This matters because AI output is fluent and confident, which makes it easy to trust more than it deserves. In analysis work, a wrong requirement that looks polished can travel a long way before anyone notices.

Two failure modes to guard against:

Automation bias. People trust a confident machine. Guardrail: treat every AI output as a draft from a capable assistant who has never met your stakeholders. Useful, never final.

Fluent invention. A well-written business rule feels correct even when it is fabricated. Guardrail: ask which of these points did you infer rather than find in my input, and verify anything consequential with a real person or a real document.

The workflow that keeps AI in its lane:

1. AI drafts or structures.
2. You review against the source material.
3. Stakeholders validate anything that becomes a commitment.
4. The decision, and the accountability for it, stays with you.

Example prompt:

Review the requirements draft below. Mark each item as either Directly from my notes or Inferred by you. For inferred items, explain what you assumed.

That single question separates what you can trust from what you must go confirm. Speed is the benefit; validation is the discipline that makes the speed safe.