AI-generated output or content may include inaccurate information.  These inaccuracies can range from misinformation, missing information, and fabricated information (known as "hallucinations") including false citations and sources that do not exist.  It's important to check content against real sources.

• Can claims be verified in reliable, credible sources that cover the same topic?
• Could the content be missing any important information or points of view?  Is there any inherent bias?
• Consider the AI tool itself.  Is information shared about what is in its training data or the corpus of content it draws from?  Is it the best tool in terms of:
  • your purpose (personal, research, writing..)
  • currency (is it connected to live internet and if not, how recent is its training data)
  • subject coverage (would it be the best tool for research in a specific academic discipline, etc.)
  • how accurately does it perform compared with other AI tools, research tools, search engines.
  • Additional information at Evaluating Generative AI Tools from SUNY-Albany Libraries
• If the AI tool provides links to sources, check the generated response against those sources, as responses that cite actual sources may still contain inaccuracies. 
• Below is an example from Google Gemini.  Even when citing a Wikipedia article, its generated content still included incorrect name and dates.  

The above topic was also checked for accuracy against credible sources found via a Google search:

Monticello. “Margaret Bayard Smith.” Accessed October 11, 2024. https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/margaret-bayard-smith/.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. “About This Collection | Margaret Bayard Smith Papers | Digital Collections | Library of Congress.” Collection. Accessed October 11, 2024. https://www.loc.gov/collections/margaret-bayard-smith-papers/about-this-collection/.

Generally, to cross-check AI-generated output or content, try any of the following approaches:

• Open a new browser window and use a search tool (Bing, Google, Google Scholar, DuckDuckGo, other search engines) to compare the AI output to the search tool output.  Note the website domain (.com, .edu, .gov, .org) and be cognizant of the aim of the site: to sell an item, to educate, to inform, to attract new members, etc. Move on to another type of domain to continue your search, if warranted. (Credit: guide to Internet Domains by the University of Washington University Libraries.)
• Go to NUsearch the NU Libraries search tool for finding books, films, documents, some scholarly and news articles, and more.  NUsearch is not comprehensive, so consider the following approaches as well.
• Go to the NU LIbrary databases (see NU Library A-Z Databases), select a database, and search with relevant keywords; compare the library database content with the AI content. The library databases are a trusted source and contain the highest quality content.  They are also of unlimited use to the NU community.  No paywalls, tokens or credits are needed! 
  Tip: you can find your subject area on the A-Z Databases page by using the All Subjects dropdown menu (top left side of page).  You can also check Research Guides by subject.
• U.S. Government info: to compare AI generated content with official U.S. Government information and websites, go to the official search engine at www.usa.gov
• Newspapers: an effective way to compare AI generated content is to search newspapers; they publish frequently and often contain more current information than AI generated output. 

Specifically, to verify AI-generated citations or sources of information:

• Search the title of the article or book in NUsearch.  Be sure to check content against the complete description of the item in NUsearch, to be sure not only title, but author and other information is correct.  AI may include a correct title but match it to the wrong publication or journal title, or to the wrong author.  AI may also cite an actual author, but completely fabricate the title matched to it, etc.
• NUsearch does not include everything, so check Google, Google Scholar, or other search engines, to verify citations. 
  Ask a Librarian for help with this as needed!
• Library research databases in various subject disciplines are appropriate to check for accurate citations and are authoritative search tools often published by academic publishers, organizations and societies.  For example: 

• MLA International Bibliography   Modern Languages Association (Literary Studies, Philology)
  PsycINFO  American Psychological Association (Psychology)
  ERIC  Institute of Educational Services, U.S. Dept. of Education (Education 
  Free version  https://eric.ed.gov/
  ACM Digital Library  Association of Computing Machinery (Computer Science)

What are scholarly or academic sources?  

• Authored by scholars or subject experts
• Typically include bibliographies, references or footnotes
• Undergo an editorial process for quality and accuracy (editorial review and/or peer-review)
• May be academic books, book chapters, published encyclopedias
• May be peer-reviewed articles, research institute reports or government sources

Further related information:

Decide on Sources from the Start Your Research guide (NU Libraries)
Evaluating Sources research guide (NU Libraries)

NU Libraries provide a rich collection of books, scholarly journals, magazines, newspapers, primary sources, and other materials, both online and in physical copy.  

We can help you find what you need. Just ASK US.