L086 · Asking 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.
01 · The idea
Ask a chatbot for sources and it will give some. The problem is that a model without web search can invent sources that look real: a believable title, a real-sounding journal, a link that goes nowhere.
Tools with web search or a deep research mode do better here, because they link to pages they actually found. Even then, the summary can stretch what the page says.
So do the 60 second check. Open the link. Find the sentence that supports the claim. Ask who wrote it and when. A government page, a university or a well-known newspaper beats an anonymous blog.
If you cannot find the claim in the source, treat it as unconfirmed. Tell the chatbot "This link does not say that" and see what it does. Often it corrects itself, and sometimes it invents again.
02 · Think of it like this
It is like a friend saying "I read it somewhere." You would want to see the article before repeating it at a family dinner.
03 · Do it now
04 · Quick check
Words in this lesson
See also
L129Staying 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.
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.
L084Asking well · 2 min
Limits make answers better
Clear limits like a word count, a budget or a reading level push AI past its most generic answer.
L099AI at work · 3 min
Read research papers with AI
AI can walk you through a research paper section by section, so you understand what was studied, what was found and how sure to be.