This is a term that has come into wider use over the past year or so.<\/p>\n
In English, \u201challucination\u201d usually refers to seeing or sensing things that aren\u2019t real. In the context of generative AI, a hallucination refers to the phenomenon where the AI produces false information that sounds believable, as if it were true, even though it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
For example, the AI may provide an answer that sounds convincing but is actually incorrect, or it might mention a book or person that doesn\u2019t exist. This happens because AI generates responses based on patterns and associations found in information on the internet. It tries to give answers that sound right, even if they\u2019re factually wrong. Hallucinations can also occur when you ask about things that don\u2019t exist in the first place.<\/p>\n
You can think of it as being similar to a person who confidently says something that\u2019s completely wrong because of a mistaken assumption.<\/p>\n
Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n
1. Recommending a book that doesn\u2019t exist
\nYou ask the AI, \u201cWhat are some recommended books on AI?\u201d and it responds, \u201cA popular one is The Future of AI Technology””, but that book doesn\u2019t actually exist.<\/p>\n
2. Giving incorrect factual information
\nYou ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s the elevation of Mount Fuji?\u201d and the AI responds, \u201c2,876 meters,\u201d when the correct answer is 3,776 meters.<\/p>\n
3. Naming a fictional person as a real one
\nYou ask, \u201cWho developed the iPhone?\u201d and the AI says, \u201cSteve Rogers was the lead developer.\u201d But Steve Rogers is a fictional movie character, the correct answer is Steve Jobs.<\/p>\n
While AI continues to improve at an incredible pace and such errors have become less frequent, hallucinations still happen from time to time. Especially when dealing with important business-related information, it\u2019s crucial to have a human verify the accuracy of what the AI says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is a term that has come into wider use over the past year or so. In English, \u201challucination\u201d usually refers to seeing or sensing things that aren\u2019t real. In the context of generative AI, a hallucination refers to the phenomenon where the AI produces false information that sounds believable, as if it were true, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[155,156,157],"class_list":["post-520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-digital-technology","tag-ai-explained","tag-generative-ai","tag-tech-awareness"],"yoast_head":"\n