Check an AI answer before you rely on it

Why AI gets things wrong

AI tools write fluent, confident answers whether or not they are right. When they do not know something, they can produce a convincing guess, sometimes including figures, quotes or sources that do not exist. This is often called a hallucination.

It does not mean AI is useless for research. It means you treat it like a fast, well read colleague who sometimes misremembers: helpful for a first pass, but worth checking before anything important goes out.

Which answers need checking most

Check carefully when the answer includes:

• Specific facts and figures, such as statistics, prices, dates and percentages.
• Names and quotes, including who said what and the titles of reports or books.
• Sources and links, which can be wrong or invented.
• Anything recent. The AI may not know about recent changes unless it searched the web for your answer.
• Legal, medical, financial or safety advice. Always confirm with a qualified person or an official source.

Explanations, summaries of text you provided, brainstorms and first drafts are lower risk, because you can judge them yourself.

The four checks

1. Ask it to show its uncertainty

   Ask the AI directly which parts of its answer it is least sure about. It will often flag weak spots it presented confidently the first time.

   Try thiscopy prompt

   Which parts of your answer are you least confident about, and why? List any facts I should check before I use this.

2. Ask where each fact comes from

   Ask for sources, then open them yourself. If the tool searched the web, it will usually show links. Check that each link exists and actually says what the answer claims.

3. Check the key facts somewhere else

   For anything that matters, confirm it in an original source: the official website, the original report or a trusted publication. One or two key facts is usually enough. You do not need to check every sentence.

4. Read it as the person receiving it

   Finally, read the answer as your manager, client or reader would. Does anything sound too neat, too general or slightly off? Trust that instinct and ask the AI about it.

Answer using only the document I've attached. If the answer isn't in the document, say so instead of guessing. Quote the relevant line for each point you make.

Check it worked

Take an answer you got from AI this week and run the four checks on it. If you found nothing wrong, good. If you did find something, you have just seen why the habit matters.