How do I fact-check AI-generated content so I don't publish something wrong?

Fact-checking AI content requires treating every claim the AI makes as unverified until you confirm it yourself through a primary or reputable secondary source. AI tools don't know truth from fiction — they predict likely word sequences. That means they'll confidently tell you the sky is green if enough training data suggests it. I learned this the hard way when an AI draft cited a study that never existed. The citation looked perfect. Journal name, author, year. Completely fabricated. Now my process is non-negotiable: first, highlight every factual claim, statistic, and proper noun in the draft. Second, verify each one independently. For statistics, go to the original report — not a blog that quoted it. For quotes, find the primary interview or transcript. For historical dates, cross-check two sources. Third, if you can't verify something, cut it. No exceptions. One practical tip: ask the AI to add inline citations as it writes, then manually check those links. About 30% will be broken or lead somewhere irrelevant. That's normal. The AI isn't lying — it's guessing. Your job is to be the human filter. **Related**: Can AI-generated content get me penalized by Google? | How do I spot AI hallucinations in long-form content?