Claims you should not let AI write for you

Any claim that a product is healthy, safe, green or better than another needs proof you can show. A writing tool can't supply that proof. It will produce the wording whether or not it's true.¹

This page covers Australian and UK sources. Rules differ by country, and a claim that's fine in one place can be a breach in another. If you sell somewhere else, find that country's consumer regulator and read its advertising guidance.

The general rule

The ACCC says a business must be able to prove a claim of a product having a particular quality or benefit.² It lists the premium claims this covers. A product may be said to be safer, to offer a moral or social benefit, or to have a nutritional benefit. It may be called green or environmental, or therapeutic.²

So put each of those into a "never without proof" list in your prompt, and check them again in every draft.

Health and safety wording

A claim that a product treats, prevents or relieves a medical condition may bring it under the rules for medicines and health products in your country. Look up your national health-products regulator before you write any such claim, and don't let a tool improvise one. The ACCC puts "therapeutic" claims among the ones a business must be able to prove.²

Safety claims work the same way. "Non-toxic", "child-safe" and "safe for pets" are promises. If the supplier hasn't given you a test result or a certificate, the tool is only guessing.

Environmental wording

Words like "eco-friendly", "green" and "sustainable" are easy for a tool to write and hard for you to back up.

The ACCC tells businesses to avoid broad and unqualified claims, and says it recommends avoiding terms such as "green" and "sustainable".³ It says few, if any, products can truthfully make an "environmentally friendly" claim.³ It also says to have clear evidence for all claims, and that independent, scientific evidence is the most credible.³

In the UK, the ASA and CAP say the advertising code requires marketers to explain the basis of environmental claims, qualifying them where necessary.⁴ Their note makes clear it is guidance and not legal advice.⁴

A narrower statement you can prove beats a broad one you can't. "Box made from recycled cardboard" is checkable. "Eco-friendly packaging" isn't. The ACCC says broad claims can more easily mislead consumers than clear, specific and proven claims.³ Don't let the tool broaden your specific fact back into a slogan.

Superlatives and comparisons

"The finest" and "unbeatable" are the tool's favourites. The ACCC says puffery means wildly exaggerated and vague claims that no one could treat seriously, and such claims are generally not considered misleading.² That's not a licence. Once a superlative sounds like a measurable fact ("lasts longer than other brands"), you need evidence. The ACCC also says broad vague terms have limited value and may mislead consumers.²

The simplest policy for a small shop: no superlatives, no comparisons with named competitors, no "tested" or "proven" unless you hold the test.

Where to look for the official rules

• Australia: the ACCC's pages on false or misleading claims and on environmental claims.
• UK: the ASA and CAP advice pages, and the Competition and Markets Authority's guidance on environmental claims.
• United States: the Federal Trade Commission's advertising guidance.
• Anywhere: your national consumer regulator, plus the regulator for medicines, food or electrical goods if your product falls in one of those groups.

The ACCC states that it doesn't provide legal advice.² For a borderline claim, ask a lawyer who knows your market. After that, every draft still needs the line-by-line pass described in catching wrong claims.