We rely on systems every day without thinking about them—until the moment arrives when a decision can’t be undone. In those moments, something subtle but essential comes into play: not proof, not compliance, but the quiet confidence that allows action at all. This episode lingers in that space, where time is short, information is incomplete, and hesitation carries its own cost.

What does it actually mean to rely on an intelligent system before anything goes wrong? How does confidence form when explanations come later, if at all? And as AI moves from tools we use to collaborators we act with, where does that leave the humans who must decide, right now, whether to listen?

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