Google says to fact-check every AI draft. Here's how.
- Written by
- Tom Houpt
- Published
AI writes a decent first draft in seconds. It also states wrong things in the same confident tone as right ones. That is the whole reason you check its work, and it is why we teach every challenge on this site as “AI drafts, you verify.”
You don’t have to take our word for it. Google’s own guidance for site owners on AI-generated content says it is critical to manually fact-check and review all AI-generated content for accuracy before publishing. It adds that this applies to details like metadata and image alt text, and that publishers remain responsible for what they publish. The same page says that using AI to generate lots of pages without adding value for readers may break Google’s spam policy.
The takeaway is simple. Google isn’t against AI help. It is against publishing AI output nobody checked.
What AI gets wrong
AI tools don’t look things up the way you do. They predict plausible text. That produces a few predictable problems:
- Invented specifics. Made-up statistics, quotes, case names, addresses and links.
- Stale facts. Prices, rules and deadlines that were true once.
- Mixed-up details. Two clients, two properties or two policies blended together.
- Confident promises. “Guaranteed,” “fully covered,” “compliant,” “will save you.” You can’t stand behind most of these.
The five-minute check
Run this on anything that will go to a client, a customer or the public.
- Names and details. Is every name, date, address, policy number and dollar amount right? Compare against your source, not against the AI’s memory.
- Numbers. Recalculate any total, percentage or time estimate. Don’t trust the math.
- Claims. Find each statement of fact. Can you point to where it came from? If not, cut it or verify it.
- Promises. Remove or soften anything you can’t guarantee. Check anything that touches rules in your field, like coverage, fair housing, medical or nutrition advice.
- Links and sources. Click every link. Search for any source the AI named, since it may not exist.
AI draft
Hi JonJohn, your kitchen quote comes to $4,200$4,620 with tax. Most kitchens take two weeks.Cut: no source for this The work is guaranteed for lifeunder our 1-year warranty. Book here: bit.ly/kitchLink tested
- Names
- Numbers
- Claims
- Promises
- Links
Then read it once as the person receiving it. If something would confuse or mislead them, fix it before it goes out.
Make the check easy to do
You can set the AI up to help you check, though not to replace you. Ask it to mark every fact it is unsure of, to list the claims it made so you can review them, and to leave blanks instead of guessing. Paste in your real source material and tell it to use only that. Then you still read it, but you know where to look.
Where this shows up in our challenges
Every Less Admin HQ challenge builds the review step into the routine: the AI makes a draft, and you check it before anything is sent or filed. If you want to see how that looks, start with the guides for personal trainers.
Still deciding which tool to use? See Which AI should I use?
Common questions
Does Google penalize AI-written content?
Not for being AI-written. Google's guidance says the problem is publishing many pages that add no value for readers. It also says to fact-check AI content before you publish it.
Do I have to tell readers I used AI?
Google says sharing how content was made can give readers helpful context, and suggests disclosing it where your audience would expect it. Check any rules from your industry, your carrier or your brokerage too.
How long does a fact-check take?
For a short draft like an email, listing description or client update, about five minutes with the checklist in this guide. Longer pieces take longer.
Who is responsible if the AI gets something wrong?
You are. Google's guidance says publishers are responsible for what they publish, whether a person or an AI wrote it.
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