L129 · Staying safe · 2 min
Fake citations from AI
Chatbots sometimes invent sources that look perfect, with real-sounding authors, titles and links, so open every source before you use it.
01 · The idea
A language model writes what fits the pattern of an answer. When you ask for references, it may produce a paper title, a journal and a year that look right but do not exist.
This has embarrassed students, journalists and even lawyers who submitted invented court cases. The fake looks just as confident as the real thing.
Tools with web search or deep research modes do better, because they quote pages they actually found. Even then, a link can be real while the claim attached to it is missing from the page.
Open each source, find the sentence that supports the claim, and check the author and date. If you cannot find it, leave it out.
02 · Do it now
03 · Quick check
Words in this lesson
See also
L086Asking well · 2 min
Ask for sources, then open them
A source is only useful once you open it and see that it really says what the AI claims.
L190AI at work · 3 min
Getting reports with sources from agents
Research agents can read dozens of pages and write a report, and the sources they cite are what let you trust it, so always ask for them and spot-check them.
L301Staying safe · 4 min
Compare insurance plans with AI
AI can turn thick insurance papers into a plain side-by-side table, as long as you give it the real policy text and check the result with a licensed adviser.
L110AI at work · 2 min
Turn a lecture into exercises
Paste lecture notes or slides and AI can draft practice exercises that match what was actually taught.