There’s a post by David Thompson that sparked an interesting discussion about AI’s role in content creation. It’s a rant highlighting the difference between people who genuinely do research, possessing authentic knowledge and information, and those who generate fake, AI-driven content to pass off as experts. My contribution to this debate emphasizes a critical distinction: there is a vast difference between someone using AI to pose as an expert and someone using AI for editorial purposes—such as cleaning up style, grammar, and spelling—or even for translation, particularly for those whose first language is not English.
This debate, while important, is not entirely new. The problem of individuals using others’ material to pass themselves off as experts existed long before AI. It is evident in many domains where people regurgitate content without a real understanding of the subject. A straightforward way to expose such pretenders is by giving them a real problem to solve within the context of what they claim expertise in. This is exactly what I aim to illustrate through my ‘Mission Impossible’ series. In these scenarios, prolific social media influencers often fail because they cannot apply the techniques they showcase when faced with real-world challenges.
One analogy I like to use is the ‘Tightrope Walker World Championship Challenge.’ Imagine the world’s most popular tightrope walking celebrity, adored for his flair, charisma, and social media prowess, being invited to compete. He fails to show up, not because he’s busy, but because he’s not actually a tightrope walker—he’s terrified of heights. Despite his fame, his notoriety stems from confidence, charm, and the ability to project an image of expertise rather than any real skill. This perfectly mirrors many influencers in various fields who, through social media savvy, come across as experts but lack the real-world capability to back it up.
Now, consider taking any of my real-life cases from nearly 30 years of experience and placing them in a modern context. Hand those problems to any of these influencers and see how they fare. I would wager that many of their solutions would crumble under real-world constraints. Their social media content is often crafted purely for engagement, not for practical application. The techniques they promote are frequently unusable in actual business scenarios.
Let’s take some examples I’m currently working on. One involves seat allocation; another is the ‘REG Call Handler’ scenario, or perhaps the Gordon Ramsay experiment. How would these influencers approach these problems? Would they be among the 99% who produce messy, ineffective solutions, or the 1% who manage to create something clean and scalable? Consider cases like the ‘Friends Christmas Expenses Global Challenge’ from December 21, 2019, or the Power Query account reconciliation from 2024. Present these influencers with an enterprise-level version of such problems and see whether they follow their own advice.
The ultimate question is whether they have any skin in the game. Are they genuinely capable of applying their touted techniques, or are they simply posing? That’s the critical word here: posing. Many of these influencers are highly skilled at creating content that looks impressive, but when faced with real challenges, they falter. This distinction is crucial for understanding the difference between genuine expertise and mere performance for social media clout.
The debate about AI and content creation is essential, but we must not lose sight of the bigger issue—authenticity. Whether it’s AI-generated content or traditional methods, the real measure of expertise lies in one’s ability to solve real-world problems, not just present polished solutions online.
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