Lesson 753 of 1169
How AI Can Help With Your Sources List (But Check It!)
AI can format a sources list — but it sometimes invents fake books. Always check.
Explorers · Research & Analysis · ~3 min read
The big idea
Bibliographies are tricky. AI can help format them. But warning: AI sometimes makes up book titles or authors that don't exist. ALWAYS check every source is real.
Some examples
- 'Format this book in MLA style.' (give the real book info)
- 'Show me how to cite a website for a 4th grade report.'
- 'Help me make my list of sources neat.'
- BAD: 'Give me 3 books about penguins' — AI might invent fake ones!
Try it!
Look up a real book about your topic. Ask AI to format the citation. Then check the book really exists in your library.
Key terms in this lesson
Practice this safely
Try this with a low-stakes example and a trusted adult nearby. The goal is to notice how AI talks about citations, not to let it make the decision for you.
- 1Ask AI to explain citations in plain language, then underline anything that sounds uncertain or too broad.
- 2Give it one detail from "How AI Can Help With Your Sources List (But Check It!)" and ask for two possible next steps plus one reason each step might be wrong.
- 3Check bibliography against a trusted source, teacher, adult, expert, or original document before you use it.
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.
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