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Generative Artificial Intelligence: Fact Check & Evaluate AI Generated Content

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For a more in-depth look at fact-checking AI content, check out the Canvas module, How to Fact Check AI Content.

Why Do We Need to Fact Check Gen AI content?

GenAI tools are only as good as the information they are trained on. It is not uncommon for AI tools to generate false, biased, outdated, or completely made up information. It is up to us, the user, to evaluate and fact check that information.  Additionally, it is important to fact check information that we read online because AI generated fake news stories and images are not uncommon.

Check out the following resources for more information about fact checking and examples of bias and misinformation in AI:

Real or AI?

Can you tell the difference between a real photo and an AI generated one?  Take the quiz to find out!

Picture of cactus garden

 

Use Lateral Reading to Verify Information

As with any information source, it is important to verify information, fact check, and confirm claims.  One strategy that can be used to verify claims is Lateral Reading, a term coined by Sam Wineburg’s Stanford research team. Lateral reading involves comparing several websites side by side at once to corroborate or disprove claims. 

 How to read laterally:

  1. Open a browser tab next to your ChatGPT generated information and google the piece of information that needs fact checking. 
  2. Read several websites and articles that discuss the claim to help you draw a conclusion about the accuracy of the information.
  3. Look at information from multiple sources to avoid any bias from a single source. Use more tabs to really maximize that lateral comparison.

Watch the video Check Yourself with Lateral Reading for more information on how to use this skill.