Generative AI : Generative AI and Credible Sources

Do AI Chatbots Provide Credible Information?

ChatGPT and other AI chatbots can be powerful tools in some contexts, but have been found to be unreliable when searching for credible information. 

AI chatbots:

• are predictive text generators, not search engines; they are designed to respond to questions in a human-like manner, not to find reliable information sources

• do not evaluate for accuracy, bias, or credibility

• can generate factually incorrect statements

• make up (“hallucinate”) sources

• link to sources that are irrelevant to the output or do not support claims in the output

• do not respond to prompts consistently

• are trained on undisclosed data that: 

  • retains systemic biases found online

  • generally does not include paywalled scholarly articles

  • may not be current

Check Your Sources!

Being able to identify original sources of information is important not only so that you can credit the authors in your own writing, but to evaluate for accuracy and credibility.

AI chatbots are powerful tools, but are not always reliable when used to search for credible information. Regardless of how you search for information, be sure to locate, read, and evaluate sources for credibility and relevance to your topic. Below are some tips for locating and evaluating sources: