Defense in Depth How To Tell When a Vendor is Selling AI Snake Oil
9 snips
Dec 4, 2025 Crystal Chatham, VP of cybersecurity at Speedcast with 18 years in IT experience, joins the conversation to dissect the prevalence of AI snake oil in the tech industry. She emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience and understanding customer needs when evaluating AI vendors. The panel examines the distinctions between predictive and generative AI and the potential risks of leaders promoting AI without adequate technical knowledge. They stress the necessity of frameworks to assess AI risks while encouraging safe experimentation and iteration in organizational environments.
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Ask What The AI Actually Does
- Ask vendors what the AI component actually does and how it improves the product compared to non-AI versions.
- Demand a clear value proposition instead of buzzwords or claims of "IP" or magic.
Distinguish Predictive From Generative AI
- Understand the difference between predictive and generative AI when evaluating tools.
- Know that transformer-based generative models aren't always the best predictive choice.
Require Clear Sales Explanations
- Train salespeople to explain plainly why the AI element matters to customers without buzzwords.
- Require them to justify the AI feature's customer value, not hide behind "secret sauce."