Why now.
Welcome to the zero-trust internet.
AI is starting to sit between brands and buyers, and it believes nothing it cannot verify. Saying it is no longer enough. You have to prove it. Marketing still matters. But when AI has to choose what to believe, evidence increasingly matters more.
The regulatory direction is clear.
If you cannot prove it, you cannot sell it.
FTC substantiation doctrine
US · in force
Every objective claim needs a reasonable basis before it is made. Enforcement now reaches AI-generated and AI-repeated claims.
EU AI Act
EU · August 2026
In force from August 2026. Transparency and accuracy duties for AI systems that shape what consumers see and buy.
Green Transition Directive
EU · September 2026
Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, enforceable from September 2026, with fines up to 4% of turnover for unproven claims.
What the numbers say.
The zero-trust internet, measured.
88%
No independent evidence
Of 1,891 brand claims analysed, 88% had no independent evidence. M11 Labs, August 2026.
1 in 6
Seller claims fail the referee
Measured inside OpenMarket runs to date. M11 Labs, August 2026.
1 in 2
New web articles are AI-written
Graphite, 2026.
30%
Online reviews estimated fake
Capital One Shopping, 2026.
What decides who wins?
When two products make the same claim and only one can prove it, something has to make that difference visible. Brands that can prove what they claim get surfaced, cited and recommended. Brands that cannot get repeated as noise, or dropped.
What it takes
Prove it before you claim it
Evidence AI can verify
Rivals challenge weak claims
Brands that can prove their claims will win.
M11 exists so the good products are seen, believed, and chosen.