Lesson 488 of 1455
AI Sources: Why You Always Have to Verify Them
AI sometimes invents fake sources that look real. Always verify before citing. Here is how teens stay out of trouble.
Builders · Research & Analysis · ~24 min read
The big idea
AI hallucinates sources sometimes. It will confidently tell you 'According to a 2020 study by Dr. Smith in the Journal of Such-and-Such' — and the study does not exist. If you cite a fake source, your teacher will catch it (and so will college admissions later).
Some examples
- AI suggests citing a book — search the title in a library catalog. Does it exist?
- AI cites a study — search the title in Google Scholar. Does it come up?
- AI cites a website article — click the link. Does it work? Does it actually say what AI claimed?
- AI cites a famous person quote — search the exact quote. Did they actually say it?
Try it!
Ask AI to give you 3 sources for any topic. Try to find each one online. How many were real? How many were made up? You will be surprised.
End-of-lesson quiz
Check what stuck
8 questions · Score saves to your progress.
Lesson help
Questions are best handled with a grown-up here.
For this age range, Tendril keeps freeform AI chat paused until parent/guardian consent and child-safe moderation are fully verified. Use the quiz, notes, and related lessons below, or ask a parent, guardian, teacher, or librarian to work through the question with you.
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