Forget about being an “AI expert”: How to recognize real expertise – and expose fake fakes

Fabian Westerheide is a founding partner of the AI-focused venture capital firm AI.FUND and has been investing privately in AI companies through Asgard Capital since 2014. Westerheide provides strategic advice to public and private institutions in the field of AI and hosts the annual AI conference Rise of AI in Berlin. In this article, he takes a closer look at the scene – revealing who truly understands AI and who just pretends.

The term "AI expert" has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past two years. Hardly a pitch, panel, or advisory paper is without it.

But precisely because so many claim this title for themselves, healthy skepticism is called for – especially among startups, companies and investors who are looking for guidance and have to make decisions.

Because not everyone who talks about AI today has the know-how needed to provide sound advice or even develop AI.

AI expertise is not a protected term. There are currently no binding standards, no quality controls, and no certificates that reliably distinguish between knowledge and wishful thinking.