Guide

How to check an AI answer against its source

AI answers are written by a model and can be wrong, even when they sound sure. With a citation, checking takes seconds. Here is a routine that keeps you honest.

The four-step check

1. Open the citation. Each number in an Étoiles answer opens the passage it came from, in its document.
2. Find the claim in the passage. Look for the specific number, date or condition the answer states. If the passage does not contain it, the answer is not supported.
3. Read a little around it. A clause can be qualified by the next sentence ("unless", "except", "subject to"). Read one paragraph either side.
4. Notice what is missing. If the answer covers part of your question, the rest may sit in another document. Ask again about the part that is not covered.

Signs to look twice

• The answer states a precise figure and the passage shows a different one.
• The answer has no citation for a claim that sounds important.
• The passage is from a different document than the one you meant, for example last year's version.
• The wording in the answer is stronger than the passage: "always" where the text says "usually".

Why citations matter

A tool that gives an answer without a source asks you to trust it or to reread everything. Citations turn "I think" into "here is the sentence". They do not make the answer correct, but they make it checkable, and checking is quick.

For important decisions

For anything legal, medical or financial, use the answer to find the passage, then read the passage, and take professional advice where it matters. See search your contracts for an example.