TechnologyAugust 24, 2026

overtrust

OH-ver-trust

Definition

The act of placing excessive or uncritical confidence in something, particularly in technology or machine-generated outputs, beyond what is justified by its reliability.

Etymology

Derived from the prefix 'over-', meaning 'excessive,' and the word 'trust,' which traces back to the Old Norse 'traust,' meaning 'help, confidence, or protection.'

In the news

The article warns that people often overtrust machine-generated outputs because they appear objective, which can lead to errors in judgment if command staff fail to implement proper oversight.

AI: The next command challenge in policing

Read the full article ↗

Police1

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