How to Fact-Check AI-Generated Content: A Practical Guide

AI-generated content is everywhere, and the pressure to publish quickly often conflicts with the need for accuracy. But here's the problem: AI tools can confidently produce information that's flat-out wrong. That's why knowing how to fact-check AI-generated content is now an essential skill for content teams, marketers, and anyone publishing online.

Why Fact-Checking AI Content Matters

AI tools have become ubiquitous in content workflows, but they come with significant risks. It's not trained for accuracy.¹ This single reality underpins every challenge you'll face when reviewing AI output.

The stakes are real. Inaccurate or misleading content can damage a brand's credibility and trustworthiness. If AI-generated content contains errors or misinformation, it can damage a brand's credibility and trustworthiness.² Beyond reputation, inaccurate or misleading content can result in legal action, particularly if it violates copyright laws, spreads false information, or defames individuals or businesses.³

Search engines like Google prioritize high-quality, authoritative content. A low-quality or inaccurate site label can hurt a site's search engine ranking and visibility.⁴ The SEO consequences alone make fact-checking non-negotiable.

Earlier in 2024, Google Chrome users reported the search engine's AI overview provided them with misleading information — such as telling them to use glue to keep cheese from sliding off pizza and eat one rock per day.⁵ This high-profile example shows that even tech giants struggle with AI accuracy.

Understanding AI Hallucinations

Generative AI tools are based on large language models (LLMs) that gather information from online sources.⁶ For example, "AI hallucination" is a well-documented phenomenon where these models perceive patterns in an AI prompt that don't exist, creating inaccurate responses as a result.⁷ The model isn't lying — it genuinely doesn't know what's true.

AI tools can reference outdated information regarding rapidly changing topics like technology, science, or current events.⁸ A claim that was accurate six months ago might be wrong today. This is especially dangerous in fast-moving fields like tech, healthcare, or finance.

AI content has no identifiers and AI output is a composite of multiple unidentifiable sources.⁹ With traditional content, you can investigate the author, publication, or website. With AI output, none of these breadcrumbs exist. With AI, instead of asking "who's behind this information?" we have to ask "who can confirm this information?"¹⁰

Lateral Reading: The Core Technique

Lateral reading is done when you apply fact-checking techniques by leaving the AI output and consulting other sources to evaluate what the AI has provided based on your prompt.¹¹ This is the gold standard for AI fact-checking.

While you can typically reach a consensus about online sources by searching for a source's publication, funding organization, author or title, none of these bits of information are available to you when assessing AI output.¹² As a result, it is critical that you read several sources outside the AI tool to determine whether credible, non-AI sources can confirm the information the tool returned.¹³

There is no one-button solution for identifying if a piece of text or media is fake or incorrect.¹⁴ Human judgment combined with cross-verification remains essential.

Fractionation: Breaking Down Claims

Take a look at the response and see if you can isolate specific, searchable claims. This is called fractionation.¹⁵ Instead of fact-checking an entire paragraph, identify individual factual claims and verify each one separately. This makes the process manageable and thorough.

When you encounter a statistic, a date, a name, or a study citation, treat it as a separate verification task. Run a targeted search for that specific claim.

Verifying AI-Generated Citations

Make sure that all details of any source you find match the citation you're given by the AI tool, because AI may correctly identify a leading author or prestigious journal in a field of study but fictionalize other details such as the article title, date of publication, and page range.¹⁶ An AI might point you to a real researcher but cite a paper that doesn't exist.

Always verify the complete citation independently. Search for the exact title, check the publication date, and confirm the journal or publisher.

Fact-Checking Tools for AI Content

Use fact-checking tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or PolitiFact.¹⁷ These platforms have decades of experience verifying claims and can quickly surface whether a statement is accurate. Snopes launched in 1994 and is one of the oldest and most trusted fact checking websites.¹⁸ PolitiFact fact-checkers use a Truth-o-Meter to determine the truth behind statements made by politicians, which range from True to "Pants on Fire".¹⁹

Consider using sources with a URL ending in .org, as they are usually non-commercial.²⁰ Government and educational domains (.gov, .edu) also carry higher credibility by default.

Some bad actors use AI tools to artificially inflate a product or service's positive reviews, boosting them to the top of the search results.²¹ Be skeptical of claims that seem too uniform or perfect.

Detecting AI-Generated Images and Deepfakes

Deepfakes are artificial but highly realistic images, videos, or audio files that have been manipulated using AI.²² Although manipulated images existed prior to generative AI, generative AI makes them significantly easier to create.²³

You can use the Content Credentials Verify tool or Adobe's Inspect tool to check for Content Credentials that can confirm AI-generated images from certain sources.²⁴ If a Content Credential is present, you will know the image was AI-generated, but an image without a Content Credential may or may not be AI-generated.²⁵

The misuse of deepfakes poses significant ethical and security challenges. They can be used to create propaganda or disinformation or to perpetrate fraud or scams.²⁶ Always verify images used in sensitive contexts before publishing.

AI Detection Tools: A Caution

AI-detection tools are unreliable and results may include both false negatives (identifying AI-generated text as human) and false positives (identifying human-written text as AI-generated).²⁷ Don't rely on these tools as your primary fact-checking method. They can supplement human review but shouldn't replace it.

Originality.ai offers some capabilities in this space, with claims around 99.5% accuracy, but even high accuracy rates mean false positives and negatives will occur at scale.

Best Practices for Content Teams

Whether you're using an AI fact checker or reviewing AI-generated content, knowing how to fact-check AI results ensures accuracy in your everyday inquiries and keeps you vigilant against the potential dangers of misinformation.²⁸

Misinformation, potential false facts, and AI errors can have huge consequences; just consider the Deloitte scandal and the AI book list scandal.²⁹ These high-profile failures demonstrate how quickly AI mistakes can damage organizations.

Build fact-checking into your editorial workflow. Don't publish AI-generated content without human review. Assign someone specifically to verify claims, dates, statistics, and citations before anything goes live.

Looking Ahead

As AI continues to evolve, so will its ability to fact-check itself: future advancements may introduce AI-driven verification tools that improve accuracy.³⁰ But we're not there yet. For now, human oversight remains essential.

The practical takeaway is straightforward: treat every AI output as a draft that requires verification. Use lateral reading, fractionate claims, verify citations, and cross-reference with trusted external sources. Your brand's credibility depends on getting this right.

Sources

“It's not trained for accuracy.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“If AI-generated content contains errors or misinformation, it can damage a brand's credibility and trustworthiness.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“Inaccurate or misleading content can result in legal action, particularly if it violates copyright laws, spreads false information, or defames individuals or businesses.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“Search engines like Google prioritize high-quality, authoritative content. A low-quality or inaccurate site label can hurt a site's search engine ranking and visibility.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“Earlier in 2024, Google Chrome users reported the search engine's AI overview provided them with misleading information -- such as telling them to use glue to keep cheese from sliding off pizza and eat one rock per day.” — https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Steps-in-fact-checking-AI-generated-content · archive
“Generative AI tools are based on large language models (LLMs) that gather information from online sources.” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive
“For example, "AI hallucination" is a well-documented phenomenon where these models perceive patterns in an AI prompt that don't exist, creating inaccurate responses as a result.” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive
“AI tools can reference outdated information regarding rapidly changing topics like technology, science, or current events.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“AI content has no identifiers and AI output is a composite of multiple unidentifiable sources.” — https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/AI/lateralreadingAI · archive
“With AI, instead of asking "who's behind this information?" we have to ask "who can confirm this information?"” — https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/AI/lateralreadingAI · archive
“Lateral reading is done when you apply fact-checking techniques by leaving the AI output and consulting other sources to evaluate what the AI has provided based on your prompt.” — https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/AI/lateralreadingAI · archive
“While you can typically reach a consensus about online sources by searching for a source's publication, funding organization, author or title, none of these bits of information are available to you when assessing AI output.” — https://lib.guides.umd.edu/c.php?g=1340355&p=9880575 · archive
“As a result, it is critical that you read several sources outside the AI tool to determine whether credible, non-AI sources can confirm the information the tool returned.” — https://lib.guides.umd.edu/c.php?g=1340355&p=9880575 · archive
“There is no one-button solution for identifying if a piece of text or media is fake or incorrect.” — https://guides.library.vcu.edu/ai/factcheck · archive
“Take a look at the response and see if you can isolate specific, searchable claims. This is called fractionation.” — https://lib.guides.umd.edu/c.php?g=1340355&p=9880575 · archive
“Make sure that all details of any source you find match the citation you're given by the AI tool, because AI may correctly identify a leading author or prestigious journal in a field of study but fictionalize other details such as the article title, date of publication, and page range.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“Use fact-checking tools like Snopes, FactCheck.org, or PolitiFact.” — https://www.articulate.com/blog/how-to-fact-check-ai-content-like-a-pro/ · archive
“Snopes - Launched in 1994, Snopes is one of the oldest and most trusted fact checking websites.” — https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/AI/lateralreadingAI · archive
“PolitiFact fact-checkers use a Truth-o-Meter to determine the truth behind statements made by politicians, which range from True to "Pants on Fire".” — https://guides.library.tamucc.edu/AI/lateralreadingAI · archive
“Consider using sources with a URL ending in .org, as they are usually non-commercial.” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive
“Some bad actors use AI tools to artificially inflate a product or service's positive reviews, boosting them to the top of the search results.” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive
“Deepfakes are artificial but highly realistic images, videos, or audio files that have been manipulated using AI.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“Although manipulated images existed prior to generative AI, generative AI makes them significantly easier to create.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“You can use the Content Credentials Verify tool or Adobe's Inspect tool to check for Content Credentials that can confirm AI-generated images from certain sources.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“If a Content Credential is present, you will know the image was AI-generated, but an image without a Content Credential may or may not be AI-generated.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“The misuse of deepfakes poses significant ethical and security challenges. They can be used to create propaganda or disinformation or to perpetrate fraud or scams.” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“AI-detection tools are unreliable and results may include both false negatives (identifying AI-generated text as human) and false positives (identifying human-written text as AI-generated).” — https://researchguides.elac.edu/AI/fact-checking · archive
“"Whether you're using an AI fact checker or reviewing AI-generated content, knowing how to fact-check AI results ensures accuracy in your everyday inquiries and keeps you vigilant against the potential dangers of misinformation."” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive
“Misinformation, potential false facts, and AI errors can have huge consequences; just consider the Deloitte scandal and the AI book list scandal.” — https://originality.ai/automated-fact-checker · archive
“As AI continues to evolve, so will its ability to fact-check itself: future advancements may introduce AI-driven verification tools that improve accuracy.” — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-life-hacks/everyday-ai/how-to-fact-check-ai · archive