Part 4 - Getting It Right
16. Check the Answer: Verify Before You Trust
Goal: Catch AI mistakes by verifying facts, figures and sources.
AI tools can state false things confidently - invented facts, wrong dates, fake quotes or citations. This is often called 'hallucination'. The answer sounds authoritative whether it is right or wrong, so confidence is not proof.
Your job is to verify anything that matters: check names, numbers, dates and sources against a trusted reference. Use the AI to draft and explain, but confirm facts elsewhere before you rely on them.
The Script (Template)
[Task]. Then: 'List any facts here that I should double-check, and tell me how confident you are in each.'
Worked Example
You write
Give three facts about the planet Mars, and then flag which ones I should verify and how confident you are.
AI replies (sample)
1. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. (Very confident - well established.) 2. Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. (Very confident.) 3. A day on Mars is about 24 hours 37 minutes. (Confident, but verify the exact minutes.) Suggestion: confirm figures against a reliable source such as a space agency site.
Why it works
Asking the AI to flag uncertainty makes it separate solid facts from shaky ones, so you know exactly where to focus your checking.
Do & Avoid
Tips
- Treat every specific fact, quote and citation as 'verify before use'.
- Ask 'how confident are you and what should I check?' to surface weak spots.
Common Mistakes
- Copying figures or citations straight into work without checking them.
- Assuming a confident tone means the fact is correct.
Practice
- Ask for five facts on a topic you know, and catch any that are off.
- Ask the AI to rate its own confidence and verify the low-confidence items.
My Practice — capture your own script
Write your own version of this lesson's script, run it in your AI chat, then paste the reply. Your work is saved on this device; use Download to keep a copy.