False Trails and Good Leads: Navigating AI in Specialized Research. AI is a tremendous tool, but a terrible primary source.
Catching fabricated citations and sorting through the noise — protecting the integrity of what we share and empowering you to do the same.
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In a Nutshell
This post offers a quick, behind-the-scenes look at what happened when I caught AI fabricating sources out of thin air — and what it means for your professional reputation. Scroll down to skip straight to what happened, or begin with the implications:
Implications
#1 Verification is Crucial
The core fact here is that AI is a platform, not a source. Citing it is like quoting a rumor without checking the facts. When we fully rely on software companies for our professional data, we risk sharing fabricated data that damages our professional credibility. Worse, if that system changes its algorithm or is hacked, the knowledge you rely on to do your job vanishes instantly.
#2: Content Ownership Matters
AI models and digital platforms are fully under the control of profit-driven corporations. Their algorithms shift without transparency, and our access can be revoked overnight. To build a truly sustainable business, we must control our intellectual property to ensure uninhibited access.
Bottom Line: While AI is highly beneficial as a tool, the strategies to safeguard our long-term viability as independent providers remain unchanged: independent verification and content ownership.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Many of you know that I spend a significant portion of my time in specialized research. As a result, I’m deeply familiar with the benefits and pitfalls of working with online content. I often find myself wishing I could bring you along on these deep dives, just to show you the rigorous reality of what it actually takes to track down truly verifiable facts.
Today, I hit a moment where I simply had to pause, document exactly what happened, and share it with you. I am passionate through and through about upholding truth and integrity, and if I can empower others to navigate sourcing with sharp skills and sound judgment, I’m happy to do so. Here’s a glimpse into what that involves.
The types of falsities I’m showing you here aren’t constant, but they happen. So while AI helps me tremendously more than the previous generation of search tools, I never view it as a source — because it’s not. It’s a technology that functions entirely using non-transparent algorithms and whose output can change (or disappear) at a moment’s notice.
Take a look at what occurred when I asked a quite-useful AI to provide a verifiable source for a specific assertion it made. It purported to give me sources, but in fact, generated links that didn't support the claim at all. After I took the time to review the material at each link, only to find they were dead ends, I reported back to the AI and pressed for a truly verifiable source. That’s when it openly confessed to fabricating the citation. You can see the reply highlighted in yellow below:
Soon after this exchange, I requested verification on a different assertion. At first, it appeared the AI had simply wasted my time sending me down a series of false trails (as you can see in the first highlighted item below). However, the system did provide an excellent consideration as well (see the second highlighted item). While it will take me some time to thoroughly dig into the connection it’s pointing to there, I will not fall into the trap of listing this modality as a therapy for the condition I’m researching until I can find concrete evidence that backs it up.
To be clear, I am not of the mind that peer-reviewed, academic research is the only thing worth our time. On the contrary, I am fanatical about curating real-world clinical and practical experience so we can glean the fullest, richest picture possible. However, I always ensure we have a traceable, authentic source we can refer to, allowing us to evaluate any finding or recommendation in its originating context.
Sincerely,
Shelly Thorn
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