Why AI Isn’t Always Right – Understanding the Risks
When Robots Make Things Up: The Truth About AI Hallucinations
Imagine if your GPS gave you directions to a street that doesn’t exist. Frustrating, right? Now imagine your child asks an AI for homework help, and it responds with made-up facts. This digital misstep is called an AI hallucination, and it’s more common than you might think.
This post unpacks what hallucinations are in AI, why they happen, and how you can help your child think critically when using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Gemini.
🤔 AI Can “Hallucinate”
AI models generate text by spotting patterns in data, not by “knowing” anything. So, sometimes they sound smart while being dead wrong. These errors, called AI hallucinations, happen when the AI fills in gaps with false information.
Example: A student asked for song lyrics and got a completely fictional version that didn’t exist anywhere. Read more.
“The AI may sound convincing, but that doesn’t mean it’s correct.” — AI Safety Experts
⚠️ Real-World Consequences
Hallucinations can do more than confuse—they can cause harm:
🧠 Why Does This Happen?
AI is trained on everything it can find online—the good, the bad, and the bogus. It predicts words based on data, not truth. So when it “hallucinates,” it’s not lying on purpose; it’s just guessing based on flawed info.
💬 Parent Tip: Encourage Critical Thinking
Arm your teen with these mental tools: