Want Trustworthy Answers From AI About Your Invention? Push Back and Use Multiple AI Platforms

How to use AI wisely when researching your invention.

We recently entered the early stages of possible licensing negotiations for a diagnostic medical device. During discussions, the prospective licensee asked about coding and reimbursement—specifically, what existing device was most similar to ours. This matters in determining how fast our invention could make money.

My first stop was Claude, which confidently returned a very positive answer. It cited an existing device and method that seemed to overlap almost 100% with ours, at least in the diagnostic graph it produced. But after running follow-up searches with Perplexity and ChatGPT, I learned that Claude was completely wrong.

The diagnostic result might look similar—but the method of achieving it was substantially different. And that difference was critical, because it meant the billing code Claude recommended would not apply at all.

Had I accepted that first answer and sent it to the prospect, I would have lost credibility—and possibly killed the deal.

How AI Gets It Wrong—and Then Overcorrects

When I pushed back and challenged Claude’s conclusion, it reversed itself—and swung too far the other way, becoming overly negative.

After several hours of comparing and cross-checking responses from multiple AI platforms, I finally arrived at an answer that was accurate, defensible, and clear enough to send to the prospect.

The lesson? AI can be a brilliant research partner—but only if you treat it like a debate, not a gospel.

Lessons for Inventors Using AI

Here are a few key takeaways for inventors, entrepreneurs, and anyone using AI to research complex topics:

• Don’t trust the first answer you get. AI systems can sound confident even when they’re wrong.

• Question your own assumptions. Often, the thing you don’t know to ask is what matters most.

• Push back and cross-check. Try multiple AI platforms, and don’t stop at the first contradiction.

• Be skeptical—of both good and bad news. If an answer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But dismissive or overly negative responses can be just as misleading.

• Use AI to supplement, not replace, expertise. The best results come when AI insights are paired with real-world experience.
  

The Bottom Line

AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not an authority. Treat it like an intern who’s brilliant, fast, and sometimes confidently wrong. Your judgment, experience, and persistence still make the difference.

At Invention City, we’ve spent decades developing, protecting, and bringing inventions to market. AI helps us move faster—but human expertise remains at the heart of every success story.

Learn more about Invention City and how we help inventors succeed.