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Chat Said: Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong?

Meredith — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:31:13 +0000

Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong?

“Chat said…” I caught myself saying this yesterday. But how can you trust AI? It has gone from a tool we consciously use to something that feels like a trusted friend, researcher, travel agent, and occasional know-it-all.

When did Chat become a regular part of my conversations? Not just something I use to clean up an email or brainstorm a blog post, but a source I casually reference as if I’d just gotten advice from a friend who happens to know a little bit about everything.

Planning a trip? Ask Chat.

Trying to decipher Italian bureaucracy? Ask Chat.

Looking for a hike, researching a new piece of outdoor gear, or figuring out whether that little restaurant in a mountain village is worth the detour? You guessed it. Ask Chat.

ChatGPT is convenient, it’s fast, and it can be remarkably helpful. But somewhere along the way, I started wondering: When did we become so comfortable trusting a machine to help us make decisions? And what happens when it gets things wrong?

How We Have Come to Trust AI Tools

What used to involve multiple Google searches, scrolling through forums, reading reviews, and texting friends can now start with one question. In one box. On ChatGPT or in places like Google Gemini or Claude. Why have AI tools become so mainstream?

The convenience of having one place to ask almost anything
The speed at which you can produce results
Feel less like a search engine and more like a conversation
We have ‘made’ ChatGPT and Claude very, very smart

Discovering ChatGPT and Learning to Love It

Several years ago, I discovered ChatGPT and learned how to use it. I taught our team how to use it to create content. I even wrote blogs to help others become familiar with using ChatGPT. To create social posts for Instagram and Facebook. To create blog posts. To build videos and graphic designs. Can you trust AI to do almost anything these days? We were certainly testing the limits.

By the way, if you haven’t read either of these blogs yet, bookmark them for later. They will give you the basics and get you comfortable using AI tools!

Can you trust AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini to help your business grow and replace your content creators?

But Can You Trust AI to Replace Your Content Creators?

While everything seemed to be going well, I could see the writing on the wall. If I could trust AI and use tools like ChatGPT and Claude every day, how long before my clients would use them to replace me?

Can you trust AI to replace your content writer? Your graphic designer? Your video editor? The answer was, sadly, yes.

As expected, we then began losing clients who employed Top Rope Media solely for content creation. In 2025, I had to let team members go because our client roster began dwindling. This was not good. My way of life, the foundation I built Top Rope Media on, began crumbling. Creating content and driving a client’s storytelling was now something ChatGPT could do. And in seconds.

How AI Kills Your Website Traffic

During this same time, we began to notice our clients’ website traffic began to dwindle. People were using Claude, Google Gemini, and ChatGPT to organize trips, get health advice, or build the best marathon training plan. And they never left the AI tool. Can you trust AI? Even with your mental health and well-being? The answer seemed to be a resounding yes.

Someone might ask an AI tool to recommend a cycling training plan, or build a training plan informed by a coach’s website, and never click through to that website. The business’s expertise may have influenced the decision even though the visit never appears in Google Analytics.

In addition, we noticed new traffic coming to their websites from places like Pakistan. Singapore. New Delhi. At first, I saw this as strange. Many of our clients only sell to the US market. Therefore, none of our ads were targeting places like India or Indonesia. Then it started to make sense. The foreign hits to a client’s website could be coming from AI bots and website crawlers. Alternatively, a visit from an overseas IP address could be a real person, but likely a VPN, a proxy, or automated AI activity.

As we began digging deeper, we discovered new reasons to loathe how AI was taking over. I even wrote a full blog on How AI Search Tools Are Killing Website Traffic for Small Businesses and what to do about it.

Getting Referred to By ChatGPT

Then, a funny thing happened. I began getting referred by ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. I would hop on an introductory call with a potential client and ask how they found us. The answers were always surprisingly similar.

“I asked ChatGPT who the best marketing agencies in the outdoor industry were, and you were at the top of the list.”

“I asked Google to pull the best holiday marketing tips, and Google Gemini gave me tips from one of your blogs.”

“I asked Claude who could help us book our cycling tours and sell more trips, and Top Rope Media came up.”

The more I asked, the more I heard “Chat said…” “Google recommended.” “Claude referred me.” It was as if they were real people, friends even, providing advice.

How to Make ChatGPT Work For You

For us, this was incredible. Most of our clients had come to us through referrals from current and past clients. We were now getting strangers to sign up for our marketing services. All the content we had been developing for Top Rope Media- the blogs, the videos, the SEO work on the back end, the social posts- it was all paying off.

How do you do this for your business? Well, the way people discover everything, from marketing tips to tour operators or outdoor gear recommendations, is changing. Even if your business hasn’t caught up yet. A traveler might no longer start with “guided hiking tours in Greece” on Google. They might instead ask Claude, “Where can I find a small-group, multi-day hiking trip in mainland Greece that avoids crowded tourist destinations and has knowledgeable local guides?”

This type of search changes what your business needs to communicate online. You need to explain your offering in enough detail that both people and AI-powered search tools can understand it. Generic marketing copy is unlikely to answer the questions or get you referred.

I even had a new client pay me to teach them how to get referred to by ChatGPT! I organized a 2-hour training session on how to build out their new website and create better content to be more easily discovered by AI tools. This became a new offering for us, and if you are interested in setting up your own training session, drop us a note!

Can you trust AI fully to help you write a blog or give you recommendations on marketing your online gear shop?

Can You Trust AI to Deliver Accurate Information?

The Benefits of Using AI

We began to work more in harmony with AI tools than ever before. With our client work, we were saving time, money, and resources we were being used more efficiently. Chat could help us rewrite an email to sound more professional. Generate marketing ideas for our fall campaigns.

Outside of work, we were using ChatGPT to recommend hikes, plan our trips, and navigate the Italian citizenship process. It was like speaking with an extremely knowledgeable friend who gave you the best recommendations. From where to have aperitivo to ride routes and things to do. I stopped using Hotels.com and TripAdvisor.

And unlike searching on Google, Chat keeps all your searches neatly stored. You can continue working in the same Chat, or start a new Chat on a different subject.

The Downside of Trusting AI

The downsides of depending on AI Tools like ChatGPT began appearing slowly. And when Chat got it wrong, it was very disappointing.

We’d drive an hour to a mountain refugio that Chat highly recommended and said was open, only to find a closed-for-the-season sign hanging on its door. Or when Chat said we should do this beautiful loop on the bike, only to realize the road wasn’t fully paved, and it involved more elevation gain than we anticipated.

In 2025, I began seeing Instagram Reels of people hiking up via ferratas near where we live in Italy, the famous ‘iron ladders’ of the Dolomiti, with their mountain bikes. It was hard to tell if these were real ascents or generated by AI. Then word spread that ChatGPT was actually recommending and providing instructions on how to do this. This prompted the Rotaliana Alpine Rescue team to issue warnings. “If ChatGPT recommends cycling on the via ferrata…”

Taking your bike on a via ferrata was absurd! I’ve hiked some of these ferratas, and the techniques required to summit do not include shouldering a 30-pound mountain bike.

Can You Trust AI for Travel and Trip Planning? You Can, But It Can Be Extremely Dangerous.

Then, the news got worse. In September 2026, I read an article about three novice hikers who were rescued trying to summit Mt. Shasta in California, after using Google Gemini to plan their ascent of the 14,000ft. volcano. In October, a 16-year-old was rescued by a helicopter from a technical cliff known as the “Widowmaker” in British Columbia after using Claude to map his route.

The final nail in the coffin was when we were researching our recent trip to Sardinia. Tyler used Claude to build out our trip, which was focused primarily on road cycling and rock climbing. Claude recommended that our first stop should include rock climbing at Cala Spinosa on Capo Testa.

I pulled up images of Cala Spinosa and Capo Testa on Instagram and Facebook; it looked absolutely gorgeous! Climbers ascending stunning granite routes right above the sea. I then looked at our climbing app, Vertical Life, and pulled up sites like Climbing Sardinia, the Crag, and Planet Mountain to learn more about the climbing there. Turns out local climber and guide Maurizio Oviglia and the Climbing Sardinia Association have issued urgent, high-risk warnings pleading with people NOT to climb at Capo Testa. That despite what you might see on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, it is extremely dangerous. The old stainless steel bolts were rotting from the inside out due to exposure to the heat, humidity, and the sea air. Bolts could fail without warning.

Um, okay. No thanks, Claude. I reorganized our trip.

Can you trust AI tools like Claude to plan your climbing trip when it recommends using a route that tops out at this bolt hanger??

Final Thoughts: How Much Can You Trust AI?

AI should be your starting point, not the final authority. Do not let it make every decision for you. Especially when it involves risky adventures. Even an easy walk in the park can be dangerous if your AI-generated plan leads you down the wrong trail or suggests a route will take you two hours when it actually takes six.

Sometimes the unexpected discovery, the wrong turn, or the conversation with a local becomes the best part of the experience. Sometimes it doesn’t.

By trusting AI, we’re trading some of the process of discovery for convenience. By all means, use your friend ChatGPT to explore. Brainstorm, compare, summarize, and build a first draft. However, don’t forget to check the sources. Confirm schedules, closures, pricing, and availability. For technical outdoor safety, medical questions, and other high-stakes decisions, use qualified people and authoritative information.

The same can be said for trusting AI for your business needs. Question things. Talk to people who know their stuff. Always be learning. Reading. Figure something out the hard way.

Can you trust AI? Here are the blogs I’ve referred to help you discover it for yourself.

Thanks so much for reading. Or asking Chat to read this for you,

Meredith Caccese McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post Chat Said: Can You Trust AI? What Happens When It Gets It Wrong? appeared first on Top Rope Media.

Using AI for Blog Posts: 5 Steps to Get Started with Content Creation

Meredith — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:22:45 +0000

Using AI for blog posts + Content creation

Can and should you use AI for blog posts and writing other content? Yes! As blogging evolves, it continues to play an important role in driving traffic to your website and search engine optimization (SEO). Since we are always looking for new and efficient ways to create content that engages and resonates with our audience, this is where AI tools like ChatGPT comes in.

If you are not familiar with using AI tools, in this blog we will show you how to use it to create your blog posts and write better content. We will also go over the pros and cons of AI. Let’s get started!

5 Steps to Getting Started with AI for Blog Posts

1. What is AI? what is chatgpt?

Before you ask an AI tool to write a blog for you, you might want to know a little about it. AI is artificial intelligence and ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. It’s a chat language-based module from Open AI that launched in November 2022. ChatGPT is the AI tool we will focus on for content writing, however, there are several others- Jasper, Copy.ai, Google Gemini. In addition, most are available as plug-ins for your WordPress website, or through a mobile app!

A core feature of AI writing tools is to mimic human conversation. Yet AI can also be used for so many other business applications:

Writing computer programs
Creating a business plan
Draw up a pros and cons list
Write essays, resumes or cover letters
Create social media posts (with hashtags and emojis included!)
Help you plan your next vacation!

2. Choose Your AI Blog Post Topic

Before getting started with AI for blog posts, you’ll need to decide what topic you want to write or have an AI tool like ChatGPT write about. In addition, you can use ChatGPT to create short-form content, like social posts. We’ve written about how to do this in our last blog!

If you’re just getting started with blog writing, this blog will help you dial in the particulars. However, once you’ve identified the topic you want to create content about, below we walk you through how to use an AI tool like ChatGPT!

3. Access ChatGPT

To access ChatGPT, we recommend using OpenAI. You will not need to pay to access Open AI’s ChatGPT, but you will need to create an account and provide your email address.

4. Create Your ChatGPT Prompt

The next step is to create a prompt for ChatGPT. A prompt is a sentence or phrase that gives ChatGPT context for the content you want to generate. Therefore, try a long-form question and write out how you would like to see the response. Keep in mind, this is not Google Search.

Example: If you’re creating a blog post about the best winter vacation spots, your prompt could be “Write a 1,000-word blog about the best winter vacations, listing the Top 10 spots, and include details like how to get there, where to stay, what to see and do, and list books or websites where you can learn more about each destination.”

Include specific parameters in your prompt, or define things such as:

Length of the response (number of words or characters)
Style and tone
Ask for an opinion or advice
Ask a question
Compare and contrast two items
Solve a problem
Ask ChatGPT to mention keywords or keyphrases throughout the blog

Example: Here’s another option to try “Create an 800-word blog post that advertises the products and services offered on my website to drive back to the website.” Include the link you want to be referenced.

5. Review and Edit Your AI Blog Post

While ChatGPT is great at generating content, it’s not perfect. Expect to do some editing to ensure that the blog content is accurate and relevant to your audience.

Once ChatGPT has generated a blog for you, transfer it to a Word doc or Google doc and then take some time to review and edit it. You may need to revise your prompts several times to get the responses you want or expect. In an AI tool like ChatGPT, you can click ‘regenerate response’ if you’d like to see a new reply.

Pros and Cons of Using AI for Blog Posts

Pros of using AI for Blogging:

Saves You Time and Takes Very Little Effort

One of the biggest advantages of using AI for blog posts is that it saves time and effort. With an AI tool like ChatGPT, you can generate high-quality content in a matter of seconds, rather than spending hours brainstorming and writing blog posts from scratch!

Increases Your Productivity

AI tools can increase your productivity by allowing you to create multiple blog posts quickly and easily. This means you can focus on other important tasks, such as creating email campaigns or attending events and conferences!

Provides You with New Ideas

AI tools like ChatGPT can provide you with new ideas for your blog content. New ways to talk about your products and services. This is especially helpful if you find it hard to self-promote! By testing out different prompts, you can generate a wide range of content that’s tailored to your audience and goals for the blog.

Improves Engagement

When you use AI for blog writing, it can improve engagement by creating more compelling and relevant content. When your audience reads a blog post that is interesting and relevant to them, they’re more likely to engage with your brand and share your content with others!

Cons of Using AI for Blog Posts:

AI Blog posts May Lack Originality

One potential drawback of using an AI tool like ChatGPT to create your blogs is that the content may lack your style, voice, and not seem authentic. Since ChatGPT is using pre-existing data to create your blog posts, you risk creating content that reads like other bloggers in your space.

AI tools Requires Editing

Another potential issue that we mentioned earlier is when you use an AI tool like ChatGPT for blogging is that the content will require editing. ChatGPT is great at generating content. However, you need to be prepared to make edits and fact-check before posting your blog to ensure it’s accurate and sounds like you wrote it!

Content created is not your own

Content created by AI tools could be very similar or identical to content someone else has created using the same AI tool. Especially if they are using the same exact prompts you do. This is often why we ask ChatGPT to generate a few different responses and can then pull the blog together in our own style.

Need More Help with AI for Blog Posts?

AI tools like ChatGPT could be your new secret weapon when it comes to creating all types of content- a marketing strategy, a new business plan, a tagline for your new winter collection!

If you need more help with blog writing or how to use your website to generate leads, let’s chat! If not, here are a few blogs that can help you DIY:

Thanks for reading and happy blogging!

Meredith McConvill, Top Rope Media

The post Using AI for Blog Posts: 5 Steps to Get Started with Content Creation appeared first on Top Rope Media.

How to Use ChatGPT for Social Posts

Meredith — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:54:07 +0000

Using ChatGPT for social media: Your New Secret Weapon for Content Creation

Wondering if you can use ChatGPT to create your social media posts? Well the short answer is yes!

As social media continues to play an important role in our lives, individuals and businesses alike are always looking for new and efficient ways to create compelling social media posts that engage and resonate with their audience. This is where ChatGPT comes in – an artificial intelligence language model that can help you generate creative social media copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or any other social platform in a matter of seconds!

In this blog post, we will take a look at how you can use ChatGPT to create social media posts and highlight the pros and cons of using this tool.

Getting Started with ChatGPT: 4 Easy Steps

1. Choose Your Platform and Topic

Before getting started with ChatGPT, you’ll need to decide which platform you want to create content for – whether that’s Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. In addition, you can use ChatGPT to create longer form content, which we’ll get into in our next blog! Once you’ve chosen your platform, identify the topic you want to create content about.

2. Access ChatGPT

To access ChatGPT, you’ll need to use a platform that supports it. There are a few different options available, such as OpenAI’s API or Hugging Face’s API. You can also use third-party platforms that integrate with ChatGPT, such as Copy.ai or Jarvis.ai.

You will not need to pay to access ChatGPT, but you will need to create an account and provide your email address.

3. Create Your Prompt

The next step is to create a prompt for ChatGPT. A prompt is a sentence or phrase that gives ChatGPT context for the content you want to generate. Therefore, try a much more long-form question and write out how you would like to see the response. Keep in mind, this is not Google Search. And you will be very surprised at the results!

Example: If you’re creating social media posts about the benefits of outdoor recreation, your prompt could be “Please write 5 Twitter posts (or Tweets) that outline the benefits of outdoor recreation for busy professionals, families, and kids.”

You can also include specific parameters in your prompt, such as the length of the response you expect or the number of responses you want to see, even what style you want the responses to be in. A table that shows pros and cons perhaps?? Yeah, ChatGPT can do this!

Example: Here’s another option to try “Create 5 social posts for LinkedIn to advertise my latest blog post on Fundraising for Non-Profits to drive visitors to read the blog on my website.” Include the link you want to be referenced.

As you are using ChatGPT for social posts, you can also ask that relevant hashtags be included, although we’ve been finding they often are already without asking!

4. Review and Edit

Once ChatGPT has generated content for you, take some time to review and edit it. You may need to revise your prompts several times to get the responses you need or expect. Click ‘regenerate response’ if you’d like to see a new reply.

While ChatGPT is great at generating content, it’s not perfect, and you may need to make some changes to ensure that the content is accurate and relevant to your audience.

Now that you’re content is edited and ready to post, use a Content Calendar to lay these posts out, and a scheduler like Hootsuite to schedule each post. Need help? Review our DIY Best Social Media Practices!

Pros and Cons of Using ChatGPT for Social Posts

Pros of ChatGPT for content production:

Saves Time and Effort

One of the biggest advantages of using ChatGPT for social posts is that it saves time and effort. With ChatGPT, you can generate high-quality content in a matter of seconds, rather than spending hours brainstorming and writing posts from scratch!

Increases Productivity

Using ChatGPT can also increase productivity by allowing you to create multiple posts quickly and easily. This means you can focus on other important tasks, such as engaging with your audience on social or creating email campaigns!

Provides Fresh Ideas

ChatGPT can provide fresh ideas for your social media content, which can be especially helpful if you’re feeling stuck or uninspired. By entering different prompts and adjusting the settings, you can generate a wide range of content that’s tailored to your audience and goals.

Improves Engagement

Finally, using ChatGPT can improve engagement by helping you create more compelling and relevant content. When your audience sees posts that are interesting and relevant to them, they’re more likely to engage with your brand and share your content with others.

Cons of Using ChatGPt for Social Posts:

social posts May Lack Originality

One potential drawback of using ChatGPT is that the content generated may lack originality. Since ChatGPT is using pre-existing data to generate your social posts, there’s a risk that the content you create may come across as inauthentic. Vague. Spammy.

chatgpt Requires Editing

Another potential issue that we mentioned earlier is when you use ChatGPT for social posts the generated content may require editing. ChatGPT is great at generating content, but be prepped to make edits and fact-check the content before sharing to ensure it’s on brand and accurate!

Content created is not your own

Content that is supplied by ChatGPT is not your own. Someone else can prompt ChatGPT to create almost identical content to what you’ve created. Especially if they are using the same exact prompts. In addition, you should never include any personal data within your prompts.

need help with using chatgpt for your social posts?

ChatGPT could be your new secret weapon when it comes to creating content. And, not just for social. If you haven’t guessed by now, we’ve used chatPGT to help write parts of this blog!

Need help getting started with ChatGPT, or want us to create and manage your social media posts? Let’s chat! Also, check out other posts we’ve written about marketing and paid advertising:

To learn more about what we do on the regular, follow Top Rope Media’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Until next time, happy posting!

– Meredith McConvill

The post How to Use ChatGPT for Social Posts appeared first on Top Rope Media.