How to recognize it in the interface
01
Numbers and policies with no source.
02
Never says “I don’t know”.
Not this pattern: a confident answer that cites its source, or an estimate that is clearly labelled as one.
Same moment, different copy (illustrative example)
Before
“You can claim a refund within 90 days.”
Shows the pattern
After
“I’m not sure. The refund policy is linked here; check it before you book.”
The fair alternative
Design guideline
States its confidence and links to the source.
Do
States its confidence and links to the source.
Don’t
Don’t state a guess as fact.
Sources
01
Kadavath et al., 2022. Language Models (Mostly) Know What They Know. arXiv:2207.05221 ↗
02
Kalai et al., 2025. Why Language Models Hallucinate. arXiv:2509.04664 ↗
03
Civil Resolution Tribunal of British Columbia, 2024. Moffatt v. Air Canada, 2024 BCCRT 149. canlii.org ↗