Put it together and you have four questions you can ask of any number, in about a minute.
Reading a productivity claim
Four questions to ask of any number about AI and productivity, in this order: who measured it, what was it compared with, what did they count, and who paid. A claim that survives usually comes out smaller and more useful.
You will meet these numbers in interviews, in pitch decks, and from your own agent, which will repeat them cheerfully. Being able to take one apart calmly, in front of someone, is itself evidence that you know what you are doing.
Say it to your agent
“Someone claims agents made their team 40% more productive. Find the original source. Tell me who measured it, what the comparison was, what was counted and who paid. Where you can't find an answer, write "unknown". Don't infer one.”