Mitigating hallucinations through fact-checking
As discussed in previous chapters, hallucination in LLMs refers to the generated text being unfaithful or nonsensical compared to the input. It contrasts with faithfulness, where outputs stay consistent with the source. Hallucinations can spread misinformation like disinformation, rumors, and deceptive content. This poses threats to society, including distrust in science, polarization, and democratic processes.
Journalism and archival studies have researched misinformation extensively. Fact-checking initiatives provide training and resources to journalists and independent checkers, allowing expert verification at scale. Addressing false claims is crucial to preserving information integrity and combatting detrimental societal impacts.
One technique to address hallucinations is automatic fact-checking – verifying claims made by LLMs against evidence from external sources. This allows for catching incorrect or unverified...
