Editing Why AI Gets Things Wrong (section)

== What you can do about it ==

The good news: once you understand this, you can work with it effectively. The [[The Fact-Check Habit|Fact-Check Habit]] and [[The Verification Checklist|Verification Checklist]] exercises build these skills in practice. Here's the framework:

'''Treat AI output as a first draft, not a final answer.''' This shift in mindset is the most important thing. AI gives you a starting point — fast, broad, often useful. Your job is to validate, refine, and apply judgment.

'''Cross-reference specific claims.''' If the AI states a fact, a statistic, or a date that matters to your work, verify it with a primary source. This takes 30 seconds and prevents the kind of embarrassing errors that erode trust.

'''Watch for the patterns above.''' You now know when hallucinations are most likely. Apply extra scrutiny to specific facts, citations, recent events, and niche topics.

'''Ask the AI to flag its uncertainty.''' Adding "If you're not sure about something, say so" to your prompt doesn't guarantee honesty, but it does help some models hedge appropriately rather than fabricating with confidence.

'''Use AI features that ground responses in sources.''' Tools like Perplexity, Claude with web search, or ChatGPT with browsing can cite where they found information. This doesn't eliminate errors, but it gives you something to check against.

'''Don't ask AI to be your only source.''' AI is best when it's one input among several — when you're using it alongside your own expertise, your colleagues' perspectives, and verified data. The [[The Multi-Source Brief|Multi-Source Brief]] exercise practices exactly this.