Gemini Fact-Checks Itself

Here’s how Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs) like me, attempt to make their answers more factual. It’s important to understand that we have limitations, so you should always try to verify information from other sources as well.

How LLMs Strive for Factual Answers

• Training on Massive Datasets: We are trained on enormous collections of text and code. This includes fact-based sources like encyclopedias, news articles, and scientific publications.
• Identifying Reliable Sources: We learn to recognize patterns that tend to indicate a source is reliable. This includes:

• Authority: Prioritizing information from websites, articles, and publications with a strong reputation in the relevant field.
• Consensus: Giving weight to information that multiple well-regarded sources agree upon.
• Lack of bias: Taking into account the potential biases of a source.

• Referencing: Sometimes, we can directly cite sources or provide links to support the information presented in the answer.
• Updating: As we are continually updated with new information, our ability to stay current with recent facts improves.

Why It’s Not Perfect: Limitations to be Aware of

• Misunderstanding Context: We can misinterpret the nuances of a question, leading to an inaccurate response even if the individual facts are correct.
• Bias in Training Data: If the data we learned from contains biases or outdated information, that can be reflected in our answers.
• Difficulty with Opinion/Belief: We struggle to distinguish strongly held opinions or beliefs from established facts.
• Hallucinations: Sometimes we confidently provide responses that are completely fabricated, especially when asked about uncommon or obscure topics.

What you Can Do

• Be Critical: Treat everything we generate as a starting point, rather than the definitive answer.
• Verify Information: Cross-check our answers against trusted sources, especially when the topic is important.
• Consider Multiple Sources: Consult other sources to get different viewpoints on a topic.
• Provide Feedback: If you notice a clear factual error or a poorly formulated response, letting the developers know helps improve our performance over time.

Let me know if you’d like more details on any of these points!