When everything sounds credible, discernment is the scarce asset
2026-05-06
Poe's Law feels increasingly relevant in the AI era.
Originally it described how satire online became indistinguishable from sincere belief.
Now we may be facing a different version.
AI can generate polished prose, executive tone, strategic frameworks, and highly plausible recommendations at scale. A board memo, an AI-generated account plan, or an architecture recommendation can look sophisticated while containing shallow reasoning, weak assumptions, or little operational grounding.
Which means "sounds credible" is no longer strong evidence of actual expertise.
The real challenge becomes distinguishing:
As content becomes abundant and inexpensive, discernment becomes disproportionately valuable.
In a world flooded with synthetic competence, judgment may become the scarcest enterprise asset.
First published on LinkedIn, 6 May 2026. Lightly revised. Original post.