Evaluation & Quality
Ground truth
The trusted correct answer or real-world value used as a reference.
Example
The approved account balance provides ground truth for checking an extraction system.
Why it matters
It gives a comparison a stated answer instead of relying on impression or preference.
You'll hear it
“Are we sure this is the correct value to compare against?”
Can you control it?
Set by the team
The people building or running the AI choose this setup. An everyday user generally needs their help to change how this part works.
Common questions
- Can ground truth be disputed?
- Yes. Some tasks involve uncertain measurements, conflicting records or reasonable disagreement.
- Can the reference become outdated?
- Yes. A value or fact can change after it was recorded.
- Does a human-provided label automatically establish truth?
- No. People can make mistakes or work from incomplete information.