Check the claims with consequences first
Do not spend equal time checking every sentence. Start with claims that affect money, deadlines, safety, legal obligations, health, reputation, or another person’s work. A small error in one of those areas can matter more than several awkward sentences.
Return to the primary source
If the answer summarizes a supplied document, open the document. If it names a policy, law, product feature, price, or schedule, check the responsible organization’s current page. A list of links generated by AI is not proof because the link or description may be wrong.
Use uncertainty honestly
Some questions do not have a clean answer. If reliable sources disagree or the information changes quickly, state the date checked, the source used, and what remains uncertain. A careful limitation is more useful than false confidence.
Practise on real work
Run a claim audit
Use an AI answer you received recently.
Prompt to adapt
Judgment checks
- Did you verify important claims outside the AI answer?
- Are quotations and links real and accurately described?
- Did you state what remains unconfirmed?
Keep these points
- Verification effort should follow consequence.
- Primary sources beat generated citations.
- State uncertainty instead of smoothing it away.
Optional paid help with Ikram Rana
Build a review step into your workflow.
Bring a type of AI answer you use regularly, without confidential details. Discuss how to check it against source material and decide which claims need a person’s expertise.
Discuss your task with IkramScope and fees are agreed before work starts. The guides stay free.
Official sources and further reading
Product features and policies change. Check the linked source before relying on tool-specific details.