Treat an AI answer as an unverified draft, not as proof. Pull out the claims that matter, check them against reliable sources, open any citations to confirm they support the claim, and get qualified human review when an error could have serious consequences. If you cannot verify a claim, qualify it or leave it out.
Why a convincing AI answer can still be wrong
Generative AI can produce fluent, confident-sounding text that contains false or misleading claims. It may also invent quotations, studies, citations, or references. A polished tone is not evidence that an answer is accurate. The UK government’s guidance to civil servants cautions users not to rely on generative AI as their only information source.
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One reason is that language models generate likely sequences of words; that process does not guarantee a truthful account. This is a useful high-level explanation, not a complete description of every model or product. Answers can also be outdated, miss relevant context, or confidently resolve an ambiguous question the wrong way.
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How to check an AI answer
- Pause before acting or sharing. A plausible answer is not yet a verified one. Slow down especially when an error could affect health, safety, money, legal rights, employment, reputation, or a public decision.
- Break it into checkable claims. Mark the statements that matter to your decision. Separate factual claims from interpretations and recommendations. Check names, dates, quantities, quotations, and claims about cause and effect individually rather than accepting a whole paragraph at once. The House of Commons Library’s guidance recommends identifying claims and checking each against an independent source.
- Find a source suited to the claim. Start with the original document or data where possible, or use an authoritative source such as a government agency or regulator. For research claims, look for an appropriate peer-reviewed publication. The Government of British Columbia’s review guidance gives examples of primary and authoritative sources, original documents or data, and peer-reviewed publications.
- Open every citation and quotation. Confirm the source exists and that its title, author, date, and relevant passage match the AI’s description. Check whether the passage directly supports the attached claim and whether a quotation is verbatim and in context. A citation can be fabricated or real but irrelevant; OpenAI’s ChatGPT truthfulness guidance warns that generated answers may include fabricated references, citations, and quotes.
- Check context and freshness. Make sure the source addresses the same jurisdiction, population, product version, or circumstances as the claim. Check its publication or update date and whether newer information changes the answer.
- Seek independent corroboration for important claims. Prefer sources that independently establish the fact rather than several pages repeating the same underlying statement. When the issue requires specialist judgment, ask a qualified person to review both the claim and its implications.
- Decide what to publish or do. If the claim checks out, cite the source you actually consulted. If it is partly supported, narrow or qualify it. If it fails verification, correct or remove it. If reliable sources disagree, compare their authority, dates, and fit to the exact question; for consequential decisions, seek expert advice rather than guessing.
When to involve a person
Human review matters most when people could be harmed by an inaccurate, incomplete, or misapplied answer. Public-sector guidance emphasizes oversight and accountability: the U.S. Department of Energy’s Generative AI Reference Guide, version 2 and the Government of Canada’s guide on generative AI address responsible use and review. The CDC’s public-health considerations state that “A person should be accountable for the final product.”
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These are general verification practices, not a substitute for medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice about a specific situation. If the answer could influence a high-stakes decision, take the underlying question to someone qualified in that area.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What not to rely on
- Confidence or detail: Specific names, numbers, and polished explanations can still be wrong.
- A link by itself: Open the cited source and verify the relevant passage; do not assume the link supports the claim.
- The AI’s own explanation: A model repeating or explaining its answer does not independently verify it.
- Repeated prompting: Asking the same system again does not establish that an answer is true.
- An old or mismatched source: A source may be genuine yet not apply to the right date, place, version, or circumstances.
The UK government’s civil-service guidance puts the core rule plainly: “Do not use generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) outputs as your only source of information on any one topic.”
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