Hallucinations

Definition

A phenomenon where an AI model confidently generates false, fabricated, or nonsensical information that is not backed by facts or its training data.

Explain Like I'm New

The AI is a chronic people-pleaser. If it doesn't know the answer, it won't say 'I don't know'. Instead, it uses math to string together words that *sound* highly plausible, accidentally lying to you with extreme confidence.

Real World Example

A lawyer used ChatGPT to prepare for a trial. ChatGPT invented 5 fake court cases, complete with fake judges, fake dates, and fake quotes. The lawyer submitted them to the judge and was severely penalized.

Common Use Cases

•AI Safety
•Fact-checking
•System limitations

Interview Questions

basic

Why do LLMs hallucinate?

intermediate

What architectural technique is currently the industry standard for preventing LLMs from hallucinating company data?

Flash Cards

Question

Why?

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Answer

Because they are not databases of facts. They are probability engines predicting the next word. Sometimes, a fictional word has a higher statistical probability than a factual word.

Question

Standard prevention technique?

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Answer

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). By forcing the AI to read a verified internal document before answering, you ground its math in reality, drastically reducing hallucinations.