Lesson 6.1 — Confidently wrong

AI for Dummies · Module 6: When AI gets it wrong · About 15 min · Phone or computer

Goal: recognise hallucinations, when AI makes things up.

What you'll learn

• Spot signs an answer may be invented

Step 1 · Why it happens

AI predicts likely words. Sometimes the likely-sounding answer is false: a fake book title, a wrong date, a made-up phone number. It sounds just as confident either way. That's called a hallucination.

Step 2 · Warning signs

• Very specific details: names, numbers, quotes, dates, laws
• No sources, or links that don't work
• Answers about very local or very recent things

Try it now

Ask: "What are 3 books written by [a friend's name]?" See if it invents books. Then ask: "Are you sure? Show me sources."

• Done it

Safety note

✅ Done when

• Tried the exercise
• Got the quiz right (below)

Quick quiz