The Trust Economy: When Anyone Can Fake Expertise

Chapter 3: The Attention Singularity

"In a world where anyone can generate expert-level content in seconds, trust becomes the scarcest commodity. The ability to verify authenticity matters more than the ability to create it."

When a junior developer can generate senior-level code instantly, how do you identify real expertise? The book argues we're entering a "trust economy" where reputation is everything. But how do you build trust when competence can be simulated?

Questions for Debate:

The Expertise Illusion

• How do you evaluate someone's real skills when AI can mask incompetence?
• Are job interviews becoming impossible when candidates can AI-generate perfect answers?
• What signals of expertise can't be faked?

The Verification Problem

• How do you prove your work is genuinely yours?
• Should all code come with "AI-assistance disclosure"?
• Is requesting "live coding" without AI the new normal for interviews?

The Reputation Game

• If trust is currency, how do newcomers enter the market?
• Are we creating an even more exclusive "old boys' club" based on pre-AI reputation?
• Can you build authentic reputation in an AI-saturated world?

Share Your Experience:

The Trust Builders:

• How are you establishing credibility in the AI era?
• What strategies differentiate real expertise from AI-enhanced facades?
• Can you share how you've successfully built trust despite AI skepticism?

The Trust Seekers:

• How do you evaluate others' expertise when everyone has AI assistance?
• Have you been fooled by AI-enhanced incompetence? What were the signs?
• What verification methods actually work?

The Systemic Challenges:

The Hiring Crisis:

• How should technical interviews evolve?
• Is the take-home assignment dead when AI can complete it?
• Should we return to in-person, supervised coding tests?

The Collaboration Breakdown:

• How do you trust teammates when you can't verify their contributions?
• Should teams disclose AI usage in code reviews?
• Is pair programming the only way to ensure authentic collaboration?

The Market Dynamics:

• Are pre-AI developers commanding premium rates for "authentic" expertise?
• Will "certified human-generated" become a selling point?
• How do markets price expertise when it can be simulated?

The Philosophical Questions:

The Nature of Expertise:

• If AI can replicate expert outputs, what makes someone an expert?
• Is expertise about knowledge, judgment, or something else?
• Does it matter if expertise is "real" if the output is identical?

The Social Contract:

• Do we need new norms around AI disclosure?
• Is using AI without disclosure a form of fraud?
• How do we balance efficiency with authenticity?

Your Position:

Should there be mandatory AI-assistance disclosure in professional settings?

How do we rebuild trust in a world where competence can be perfectly simulated?