AI exposes gaps in companies’ information accountability

AI systems can direct customers to information that is no longer accurate, exposing a gap in how companies maintain their online content, argues Dominik Angerer, CEO and co-founder of headless content management company Storyblok.

Angerer describes using an AI overview to find a product, only to discover that it was sold out. A few weeks later, he encountered a different item that had been discontinued. In both cases, he says, the AI repeated information from a page that had not been updated.

Companies often assign responsibility for publishing information to teams such as marketing, product and legal, but Angerer says they may lack clear ownership for keeping that information correct over time. Policies can remain outdated across systems, and product pages can stay live after items are unavailable. People have often caught these discrepancies through informal knowledge, he writes, while AI systems rely on what the documents say.

A consumer survey cited by Angerer found that nearly half of shoppers double-check an AI answer before acting. If they find contradictory information, he argues, a business can lose a customer. He says companies should identify who is responsible for keeping customer-facing information current and check what AI systems actually tell people about their products and business.

Angerer’s article was published as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives. TechRadar says the views are the author’s and are not necessarily those of TechRadar Pro or Future plc.