Trust & truth · the practice
Cross-checking AI
30-second gist~30s read
For anything that matters — money, medicine, law, dates, names, numbers — don't trust the AI's answer alone. Cross-check is the habit that catches almost everything that's wrong.
It's quick. Three steps. Worth doing.
If you want more
The 30-second cross-check
- 1. Search the key claim. Take the most specific fact in the answer (a number, a date, a name) and Google it. If you find the same claim repeated by independent, named sources, it's probably real. If you only find AI-shaped websites repeating it, it's probably not.
- 2. Click any citation. If the AI mentions a source, open it. If the link doesn't load, the source doesn't exist, or the page doesn't actually say what the AI claimed — that's your answer.
- 3. Ask the AI: "what's the strongest reason this might be wrong?" A good answer breaks down. A bad answer holds up.
What never to skip the check on
- Medical doses, drug interactions, "is it safe to take X with Y?"
- Legal advice, contracts, statutes.
- Financial decisions, tax rules, bank-account moves.
- Anything tied to a date, a price, or a name.
- Anything you'd quote in writing, especially professionally.