Stage 3: independently tested.
The rule that placed itSomeone other than the maker has tested it: an independent benchmark, a peer-reviewed paper, or a hands-on test by a trusted outlet.
The evidenceIn a Washington Post test, the TurboTax and H&R Block chatbots were unhelpful or wrong as much as half of the time. The Washington Post (Geoffrey A. Fowler), reported by NYSSCPA, Mar 7, 2024.
A stage says how far the evidence has got. It is not a rating of the AI and not advice.
- 1ClaimedNo evidence yet
- 2LaunchedNo evidence yet
- 3Independently testedPlaced here
- 4Tested with real peopleNo evidence yet
- 5Regulator-clearedNo approval process exists
- 6Widely used with a verified recordNo evidence yet
Everything we found.
In ladder order, newest first within each kind. Makers' own claims are labeled as theirs.
What independent tests found
- The Washington Post
In a Washington Post test, the TurboTax and H&R Block chatbots were unhelpful or wrong as much as half of the time.
“unhelpful or wrong as much as half of the time”
The Washington Post (Geoffrey A. Fowler), reported by NYSSCPA · Mar 7, 2024
Not found in our sources yet: what the makers claim; what has launched; tested with real people; how many people use it. No regulator approves AI for this task, so the approval step doesn't apply.
Track record and tools.
Failures and court cases are shown beside the stage, never folded into it. Tools are listed because the evidence names them, in no order of merit.
- TurboTax chatbot (Intuit Assist)Intuit
- H&R Block AI Tax AssistH&R Block
Can AI do these yet?
Answer my health questions
Stage 4 of 6Tested with real people
Randomized trial: chatbot users made no better health decisions
Spot breast cancer on a mammogram
Stage 5 of 6Regulator-cleared
Transpara has been FDA-cleared since 2018, most recently in Aug 2026
Check a mole for skin cancer
Stage 5 of 6Regulator-cleared
EU Class III CE mark lets DERM clear benign cases alone (company)