Check an AI answer before you share it

Content checked against the listed guidance on November 5, 2026.

AI-generated citations can be wrong; open each source yourself.

Check the original wording, date and context.

When you cannot verify a claim, do not present it as established fact.

Find the claims that matter

Mark the statements that could change a decision: names, dates, prices, rules, statistics, quotations or instructions. For each one, ask what original evidence would confirm it.

An AI assistant can produce plausible-looking citations that do not support the claim—or do not exist. NIST identifies confabulated explanations and citations as risks that can mislead readers.

Open the original source

Follow each citation yourself. Check the publisher, page title, date and exact passage. A search result snippet or another AI summary is not the original source.

For current policies, public services or product details, use the official organization’s page. If two sources disagree, note the difference and look for a newer primary source rather than choosing the answer that sounds best.

Verify the source exists and is from the organization it claims to be.
Read the relevant paragraph in context.
Check the date and whether the source covers the exact question.
Remove any claim you cannot confirm.

Use a higher bar for high-stakes topics

For health, law, money, safety or someone’s reputation, verify with qualified people and authoritative material. If you cannot confirm the answer, say so instead of repeating it as fact.

Before publishing, check that quotations are exact, numbers have a source, and the final wording does not overstate what the evidence shows.

Try this prompt

List the factual claims in this answer and separate them from opinions. Do not add sources. Tell me which claims need checking and what kind of primary source could verify each one.

Answer:
[PASTE TEXT THAT IS SAFE TO SHARE]

Concrete example

Sample input

Draft claim: “The community garden opens every day at 7 a.m.” Verification task: find the garden’s own current schedule before sharing.

Illustrative output

Checkable details: opening days and opening time. Best evidence: the garden’s official current schedule or a direct confirmation from its operator. Until confirmed, do not state the hours as fact.

Limitations to keep in mind

AI can help identify claims that need checking, but it cannot verify them merely by repeating or rephrasing them. Source links and quotations must be opened and checked by a person.