RAG & Search
Citation hallucination
An AI answer that invents a source or points to one that does not support its claim.
Example
A report cites a real paper for a finding the paper never made.
Why people use it
It names a specific way AI can make an answer appear better supported than it is.
What you'll hear
“The link works, but the paper never says that.”
What this means for you
Open the source and check the relevant passage.
Can you control it?
No
No direct control. This describes a wider issue, concept or result rather than something you can simply switch on or off in a tool.
Common questions
- Is a working link enough to validate a citation?
- No. The linked material must support the particular statement.
- Can the cited publication be completely invented?
- Yes. AI may supply a plausible title, author or date for something that does not exist.
- Can a correct citation still be used misleadingly?
- Yes. The source may support a narrower statement or include qualifications left out of the answer.