My ChatGPT Fact Checking Prompt for AI Hallucinations

How to Stop ChatGPT from Making Stuff Up

If you’re using AI to draft content, summarize articles, or handle parts of your workflow, here’s the truth: How sure it sounds has nothing to do with how accurate it is.

ChatGPT can (and will) hallucinate.

It might give you:

• A stat that sounds official but doesn’t exist

• A quote that feels familiar but no one ever said

• A summary that reads like it’s from a credible source but isn’t

Right now, trust is currency. Search engines, social platforms, and people reward it. If you hit publish without checking, it’s your reputation on the line.

If you’re using AI for anything that affects your brand, you have to catch these mistakes before your audience does.

What an AI Hallucination Really Is

“Hallucination” sounds like ChatGPT is eating fun gummies, but really it’s just AI making something up and presenting it like a fact.

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and similar tools aren’t search engines. They don’t “look things up.” They don’t confirm sources. They create responses based on patterns they’ve seen before.

And sometimes, if it can't generate a response, it will just make one up. It might fill in the blank with something that sounds right but isn’t.

What Happens When You Skip Fact-Checking

• Search trust drops – Google and Meta bury low-quality content without solid sources

• Human trust fades – People can tell when something feels off

• Authority erodes – One fake stat or quote can make people question everything you say

If credibility is the foundation of your business, a single error can undo years of work. Fact checking and correcting ChatGPT is a big part of interacting with it correctly.

The Prompt I Use to Keep ChatGPT Honest

At Imagine Social, every AI output runs through a fact-checking step before we even look at it.

Here's a fact-checking prompt I personally wrote for my team.

PROMPT STARTS:

"You are the world’s most meticulous fact-checker and elite-level research assistant trained to support entrepreneurs, educators, content creators, and business owners who rely on ChatGPT to power high-visibility, high-trust work.

You specialize in: 

– Detecting and eliminating AI hallucinations and unverifiable claims 

– Validating statistics, quotes, names, and historical or news-related details with precision 

– Surfacing only primary or evidence-based sources when it comes to medical, legal, scientific, or technical claims

 – Providing plain-language summaries that help non-experts assess the trustworthiness of information 

– Supporting thought leadership, internal documentation, and public-facing content with rigorous accuracy standards

STEP 1: Before delivering any response, pause and review it for factual accuracy. Fact-check everything you generate, especially if it includes stats, names, dates, events, studies, institutions, or direct quotes.

STEP 2: In every response, include the following:

– A clear fact-check summary written in plain language

 – An explanation of any claim you couldn’t verify

 – A list of clean, copy/paste references (no embedded links) from reliable sources 

– A reminder if the information is based on patterns or predictions rather than confirmed data

STEP 3: Follow these rules with discipline:

– Triple-check all claims before sending 

– Do not invent statistics, people, or organizations 

– Never speculate or guess—say “I couldn’t confirm this” if unsure 

– Flag outdated, unclear, or conflicting information and explain what needs human review – If I say “Verify that,” pause your default response and re-check the most recent claim for source accuracy

STEP 4: Apply extra caution if the content includes:

– Health, finance, or legal claims 

– News events or timelines 

– Direct quotes attributed to public figures 

– Study results or academic findings 

– Brand names, tools, or business strategies

⚠️ You are not here to sound confident. You are here to be correct.

Your job is to help me protect what matters most: trust, credibility, and clarity."

PROMPT ENDS

The Bottom Line

AI can speed things up, get you past the blank page, and help you organize your ideas. It’s not a replacement for your judgment. Learning how to use ChatGPT and other AI tools correctly is so important.

If your brand depends on trust, train your AI, slow it down, and fact-check everything. The best part of the process still comes from you.

Most people are using ChatGPT the wrong way. Want to learn how to use ChatGPT the right way? Check out my Mini-Masterclass, workshops and team training sessions.

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FAQ: AI, Accuracy, and Brand Trust in 2025

Why does ChatGPT make up facts? 

Because it’s not a search engine. It generates text based on patterns, not verified data. That’s why it can sound right and still be completely wrong.

What does “AI hallucination” actually mean in plain English? 

An AI hallucination is when a tool like ChatGPT makes something up and presents it as fact. It might invent a statistic, summarize a non-existent study, or quote someone who never said what it claims. It generates patterns, not verified truth.

Why does ChatGPT sound so confident when it’s wrong? 

Because it’s designed to predict what sounds right... not confirm what is right. That confidence comes from how it was trained: to complete sentences based on probability, not proof.

Can I trust stats or quotes it gives me? 

Not without checking. Always verify names, numbers, and sources. If you’re not 100% sure it’s real, assume it’s not.

How do I fact-check ChatGPT content before I publish it?

Use a structured prompt like the one above that frames ChatGPT as a fact-checker, not a writer. Ask it to validate quotes and numbers, cite sources, flag risky claims, and admit what it can’t verify. Then review it like a human editor: check stats, names, quotes, and anything that feels too “clean” to be true.

What’s a good prompt to fact-check ChatGPT responses?

We use a prompt that tells ChatGPT to:

• Validate quotes and numbers

• Include sources or admit when it can’t

• Flag risky claims

Prioritize accuracy over confidence It doesn’t make the output perfect, but it makes red flags easier to catch before you hit publish.

How do I know if my content has hallucinations?

Run it through a fact-checking prompt. Ask it to cite sources. Then look up anything that seems off, too perfect, or overly confident. If it sounds too slick to be real, it probably is.

What kinds of content are most at risk of hallucination?

Anything that includes stats, timelines, quotes, study summaries, or niche industry terms. Health, legal, and finance topics are especially risky, but even simple marketing blogs can sneak in fake references.

Do I need to be a tech expert to fact-check AI?

No. You just need good instincts and a simple process. If something doesn’t match your industry knowledge or real-world experience, trust that. Ask better follow-ups, verify the basics, and slow down before you publish. Expertise still beats automation.

Will bad AI content hurt my reach?

Yes. Google, Meta, and other platforms are actively de-ranking low-quality or spammy AI content. If it’s wrong, vague, or unverifiable, it will get buried.

Can using AI content hurt my SEO or visibility?

Absolutely. If it’s inaccurate, low-quality, or stuffed with fluff. Google’s Helpful Content System and Meta’s ranking updates are both prioritizing content that feels human, helpful, and grounded.

Will my audience notice if AI content is wrong?

They will... and even if they don’t say it out loud, they’ll trust you less. People are smart. If something feels off, they bounce. Trust gets chipped away quietly. Once it’s gone, it’s hard to get back.

Is it still worth using AI if I have to double-check everything?

Yes, if you use it strategically. AI isn’t here to replace your judgment. It’s here to speed up your process, help you brainstorm, and organize your thoughts. The magic still comes from your brain, not the tool.

What’s the best way to use ChatGPT without risking trust?

Use it to support your thinking, not replace it. Train your tools. Build review steps into your workflow. And remember: speed is great, but clarity wins.

Can AI ever replace real expertise? 

No. It can accelerate your ideas, but it can’t replace judgment, context, or lived experience. That’s where your brand shines... and why people trust you.