afpop campaign reinforces value of human advice over AI answers
At a time when artificial intelligence is increasingly relied upon for information, the Association of Foreign Property Owners in Portugal (afpop) is launching a campaign stressing the importance of human expertise and accountability.
“AI is not a replacement for real, human support,” says afpop CEO Michael Reeve, who is spearheading the new awareness campaign designed to caution members and the wider community against blind trust in AI-generated information, especially when it comes to complex matters like immigration, residency, and legal compliance in Portugal.
The campaign was born from a noticeable trend of people sharing inaccurate answers from AI platforms on social media. “We started realising that people were quoting responses they received from AI which were wrong, or incomplete,” he explained.
The issue became particularly urgent around topics like immigration, where incorrect advice could have serious consequences. As Reeve highlighted, “AI doesn’t evaluate source reliability” and gives the same weight to a lawyer’s opinion and an official government statement. Its translations can be inaccurate, and there’s no real accountability for whether an answer provided is right or wrong.
According to Reeve, afpop staff have even started comparing AI responses to the real answers they give members and consistently find AI lacking. “Our team has started doing this thing where they give members the right answer and then check what AI said – and it’s often wrong.”
This isn’t just a technical concern. It’s a matter of trust and responsibility. “At afpop, we don’t ask an algorithm. We go directly to the government source. We do the research. We translate it, interpret it, and if there are follow-up questions, we go back for more.” As he explains, “it might take a day,” but that day means members get the correct answer – not just an answer that sounds good.
While Reeve is the first to acknowledge that AI has many uses, he argues that it cannot be used as a substitute for the kind of accountable, personalised assistance afpop provides. “AI has plenty of benefits,” he said, “but not to replace human advice. We’re human. We’re not an algorithm.”
For a modest membership fee, which Reeve light-heartedly compares to “a cup of coffee a week”, members can count on “real people, doing real research,” to guide them through often confusing and bureaucratic systems in Portugal. “Having an accountable source who’s actually going to do the research is miles apart from asking AI,” he adds.
As misinformation spreads faster than ever, afpop’s campaign is a timely reminder that fast answers aren’t always right answers, and when it comes to important life decisions, there’s no substitute for expert, human support.
