How To Fact Check AI, According To Tech Experts

Editors' PickInnovationHow To Fact Check AI, According To Tech ExpertsByJoe McKendrick,Senior Contributor.Edited bySophia Acevedo,Associate Editor.for TechnologyFollow AuthorsMay 24, 2026, 06:30am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.TABLE OF CONTENTSHow Reliable Is AI, Really?AI Fact Checking Tips And TechniquesHow To Use AI ResponsiblyFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Man sits at his desk in his office and uses laptop. When you're researching a topic or using AI for something important, it's necessary to fact check AI.GettyAll too often, artificial intelligence turns out to be a questionable source of truth. Unfortunately, hallucinations happen quite frequently, and extend to any and all types of searches. The 2026 Stanford HAI AI Index found hallucination rates across 26 top models ranging from 22% to 94%, depending on the benchmark and use case. “When a false statement is presented as something another person believes, models handle it well,” the researchers found. “When the same false statement is presented as something a user believes, performance collapses.” We press on with AI, but there’s a clear need for AI fact-checking techniques. The depth of such a re-examination depends on the nature of the inquiry. More casual, low-impact AI queries, such as confirming recipe ingredients, movie plots or shoe-store locations, likely will not require rigorous AI fact checking. High-impact AI queries, such as reviewing academic research, medical diagnoses and financial data, call for a very comprehensive verification. In such instances, AI users need to take a more critical eye and look deeper into the information they are extracting from AI. How Reliable Is AI, Really?Simple projects, such as summarizing a document, explaining a concept or drafting a first pass at something, can help jump-start inquiries. However, it should not be fully accepted as a final source of infor...