AI Answer Checking Basics
Lesson 3: Checking Sources, Numbers, and Quotes
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Check whether a source an AI mentions is real and says what the AI claims.
- Re-check numbers and calculations in AI answers.
- Treat quotes as unverified until they are found in the original.
Lesson Content
Three things in AI answers deserve special attention because they look trustworthy even when they are wrong.
1. Sources. AI tools can list sources that do not exist, or real sources that do not say what the AI claims. Some tools show links from a live web search, which helps, but you still need to open the link and find the sentence that supports the claim.
2. Numbers. AI can make arithmetic mistakes, especially with percentages, totals, and dates. Re-calculate anything that matters with a calculator or spreadsheet, or ask the AI to "show the calculation step by step" so you can check each step.
3. Quotes. A quote in quotation marks feels exact, but AI can paraphrase or invent quotes. Never repeat a quote until you find it in the original article, book, or recording.
The quick routine (about two minutes):
- Open each source link. Find the supporting sentence.
- Re-check one or two key numbers.
- Search for any quote word-for-word.
- Anything you cannot confirm gets removed or labeled "unverified."
Enroll to continue this lesson.
The preview above shows the lesson objectives and opening lesson content. Enroll to view the full lesson, complete the practice work, and take the lesson quiz.