Open the source before you trust the answer

An answer with a citation looks more trustworthy than an answer without one. It still needs checking. Generative AI can produce confident mistakes, including references that do not support the claim beside them.

Open the source. Find the actual passage and read enough around it to understand the context. Check the date, the version, and whether the statement applies to your situation. A real link to a long document is not proof that the sentence above it is correct.

Suppose you ask when a vendor agreement renews. Compare the answer with the renewal clause, any amendment, and the relevant notice requirements. Do not let a smooth summary stand in for the document you are relying on. For consequential decisions, get the appropriate qualified review.

Use the assistant to help locate evidence and organize questions. Keep the evidence separate from the model’s interpretation. When you cannot find support for an answer, label it unverified and stop it from quietly becoming a fact in the next email or meeting.