AI is a Lie
AI is a Lie
Before you buy the hype, check the type
Before you buy the hype, check the type
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Image by Marr, 2022
How often do you use AI? In school? At home? AI is a part of our everyday lives. Right now, in this day and age, AI is unavoidable. You can't escape it. It is present in our social media, emails, texting, and other chat apps, GPS, online writing tools, shopping websites like Amazon, smart home devices, and much more. Even things such as autocorrect and facial recognition are AI. When most people think of AI, they think of AI chat sites like ChatGPT or Gemini. It's become a common misconception that AI knows everything and that all you have to do is ask. It can even give you homework answers by simply typing in the question or submitting a picture. But how do you know that the answer AI gives you is true? How do you know that it's not just making it up? Simple answer: you don't. You don't know if it is lying or giving factual information. AI is not a bad thing and can actually be quite useful, but you can't rely on only its answers. Verifying AI responses is a must, but the question is how to verify.
Through this webpage, you will learn:
How to spot AI hallucinations and lies,
And then how to find reliable sources that allow you to verify the information found.
This will not only make your learning process better but also help avoid acts such as plagiarism or cheating.
Figure 1. (Ackerson, 2023).
So what are AI hallucinations? Figure 1 is a screenshot of an AI chatbot's response to a question regarding Noble Ackerson. The text boxed in green are facts; but the text boxed in red is false information. AI hallucinations are responses from AI that, without fact-checking, appear true but are not.
Now imagine this was your homework assignment. You're assigned to discuss who Noble Ackerson was and so you ask a chatbot because it's easier. This is the response you get, and you take this information and submit it as your own research. You are now not only getting a bad grade on the assignment, but your teacher will know you cheated! Fact-checking is important for not only this reason but because it affects what you learn. Relying on AI does not allow you to learn; but having AI as a guide to your own research does.
Brain > algorithm
Brain > algorithm
Human vs. Machine
Humans make decisions based on experience, intuition, and emotion.
Machines rely solely on databases and statistics.
These differences in cognition each have benefits as computers can present facts much quicker than humans can, but humans are more reliable at perceiving things.
This is because humans are capable of top-down and bottom-up processing and computers are only capable of bottom-up processing.
Arsenault, M.-O. (2023). Top down vs bottom up [Image]. A visual comparison illustrating top-down versus bottom-up processing in cognitive psychology.
Icon Consulting Group. (2021). Augmented intelligence software [Infographic]. An infographic depicting the relationship between human decision-making and augmented intelligence systems.
Infografolio. (n.d.). Artificial intelligence vs. human intelligence infographic template [Infographic]. A comparative infographic outlining key differences between artificial and human intelligence.
perception lesson
perception lesson
Blueberry Muffin vs Chihuahua
Your brain uses both top-down processing and bottom-up processing to make sense of what you see. You don't just see shapes and color - you apply knowledge like: "Dogs have eyes. Muffins do not."
AI doesn't do this! It only uses bottom-up processing, which means it sees colors, edges, and textures, but not meaning.
Top-down processing involves using existing knowledge and context to interpret incoming information.
This is why AI sometimes claims a chihuahua is a blueberry muffin.
Activity: How many blueberry muffins can YOU see? Why?
Aveni. (2025). Chihuahua vs. muffin comparison [Image]. A visual comparison illustrating AI-generated image realism and ambiguity.
Real or Fake?
Real or Fake?
Real vs. Fake
By clicking the link above you can test your ability to determine which images are AI or not.
As AI is becoming more advanced in creating images, it is more difficult to decipher what is a real image and what is an AI image.
Take the test for yourself on your own time to see if you can determine what's real vs fake.
Furze, L. (n.d.). Real or Fake? The AI Deepfake Game [Web graphic]. An interactive graphic illustrating the challenges of distinguishing authentic images from AI-generated deepfakes.
Attention
Attention
Practical Psychology. (2023). Selective attention theories [Web graphic]. A diagram summarizing major models of selective attention (filter model, attenuation model, late-selection models).
So what is attention? Well, there are many types, such as selective attention, distraction, divided attention, attentional capture, and visual scanning. When measuring attention, dichotic listening is a method used to study attention by playing two different messages--one to each ear--to see how well a person can filter sounds. Colin Cherry (1953) used this technique to describe the Cocktail Party Effect, our ability to focus on one conversation in a noisy environment.
Then, a "Shadowing" task is performed, where the listener repeats the attended message out loud while ignoring the unattended message, helping researchers understand how we select and filter auditory information.
Dichotic Listening (Practical Psychology, 2023):
When a user listens to two messages in each ear.
Shadowing (Practical Psychology, 2023):
Adaptation by Colin Cherry (1953): The listener will hear two sets of information in each ear, and is asked to report the stimuli the director asks.
The one they are asked to say aloud is called the "attended message," while the other is the "unattended message."
Having the ability to efficiently filter out certain information may be a great way for people of all ages to build their attention, memory, and even learning skills. According to Sal McKeown (2023), noise actually may be a problem in the classroom, and education systems need to change if they truly want their students to thrive in schools. Many reasons may contribute to distractions, such as:
A teacher constantly moving around in the classroom
Other students making noises with their feet, hands, mouths, stationary, etc.
Peers talking when it is "learning time" during class
Rustling of paper, desks, and classmates
These small distractions can range from subtle to very distracting, and it is dependent on the teacher, assistant teacher, classmates, and even yourself to filter them out. According to chief audiologist (scientist who studies hearing and other ear-related issues), Tami Harel, not being able to effectively filter out distractions, negatively impacts students more than parents or teachers. McKeown (2023) states, "Consciously separating out useful speech from other distracting sounds increases the cognitive load, so learners do not have sufficient brain power to process the new content", which may cause students to have difficulty improving their memory and learning capacity (McKeown 2023).
As technology advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, adolescents appear to have a shorter attention span. This does not mean that as an adolescent, your attention is permanently damaged. We live in a state of attention economy that, especially, adolescents are trapped in. This is when attention is treated as scarce, as if you can "run out" of it. Your attention is constantly trying to be bought and, at this age, it often is by social media, streaming services, shopping platforms, and more.
Now the question is: how to get out of the attention economy? A simple answer is you defocus from tech. In a tech-based world, this is hard. Here are some ideas that can help:
Utilize focus modes on your phone, tablet, and laptop. These can be personalized to fit your focus needs, but ultimately, it will remove the notifications on your phone, hopefully, causing the need to look at your phone to be less. The personalization of it can allow specific people or apps to send notifications, such as contacts like your parents and employers, or apps like medical or safety apps, alarms, and reminders.
Space out time for mindfulness activities. These can include meditation, yoga, journaling, and walking. Even if it is for 10 minutes, that is 10 minutes less on tech.
Find non-tech-related hobbies. Some ideas can include reading, puzzles, Legos, writing, drawing and other art forms, gardening, baking/cooking, and exercise.
Utilize non-invasive technology such as MP3 players for music and Kindles for reading.
Set app timers and limits. You cannot change a habit overnight. If you are an avid "doomscroller", you're going to feel overwhelmed going from hours on Instagram or TikTok one day to zero hours the next. Start by setting a limit in your app settings that will lock the app after a certain amount of time. Then set timers when you do decide to scroll on social media so that you don't spend your whole limit at once. As time progresses, decrease the number of hours in the limit.
Remember, technology is not a bad thing, and we are allowed to pay attention to things we enjoy, such as TikTok and Instagram, but our attention is valuable, and it should be used to grow, learn, and improve our everyday lives. Don't let the media buy you or your attention; instead, spend it wisely, on your own accord.
LabVanced. (2024). Attention tasks in psychology research. Overview of attentional paradigms and their methodological applications in experimental psychology.
Working Memory
Working Memory
Working memory is defined as "a limited-capacity system for temporary storage and manipulation of information for complex tasks such as comprehension, learning, and reasoning" (Goldstein & Hale, 2026, p. 150). Or in simpler terms, it is your brain temporarily holding and manipulating information while you complete a task.
An example of this is having a conversation. You listen, process, and understand what the other person is saying, while at the same time forming your own thoughts and opinions to craft a response. You are holding the information they are telling you while also forming your response. Short-term memory is what you have in mind in the moment while also aiming to achieve your goal. An example of this is remembering a one-use password. You only remember the code or phrase long enough to type it in. You are not holding the information for longer than a few seconds, and you are not manipulating anything in the process.
Relying on AI may seem easy and convenient when doing so, but offloading onto AI can have long-term consequences. These long-term consequences include failing to engage in effective learning strategies, which can mean not learning the content fully or having underdeveloped writing skills.
Does AI have memory? To put it simply, it does. Computers and AI are capable of retrieving experience-based information because they are able to learn things like patterns and data. What computers and AI cannot do is daydream or have an imagination. It also cannot schematize, meaning it cannot organize information into frameworks. We as humans do that because it makes recalling memories and knowledge easier and more efficient, but computers and AI don't need to. Instead, it pulls information from databases.
The Turing Test
The Turing Test
CNET. (2015). What is the Turing Test? [Video; 2 mins].
The Turing Test
The Turing Test is a way to see if a computer can think and respond like a human.
In the test, you ask questions to both a computer and a human, but you cannot see them.
If the computer answers are so good that you can't tell them apart from a human, it has successfully passed the test.
Even if a computer can pass the test, it does not necessarily mean it is "smarter" than a human.
Essentially, this is like a game of "Guess Who?"
Figure 2 (Wikipedia Editors, 2025)
Check the facts
Check the facts
Now you know that AI can definitely lie. You have also seen that it's not always easy to tell when it is or isn't lying. So does this mean we should stop using AI altogether? Obviously not, and we don't expect you to. AI can do great things and can be a really awesome tool to use. That being said, we shouldn't trust what it says automatically. So when can we trust it? After we fact-check it. Here are some easy tips for fact-checking AI answers:
For each answer it gives, search that answer on Google. DO NOT just click any website. Specifically look for credited and verified websites. These often have URLs ending in ".gov" or ".edu." An example of this:
When asking AI about Noble Ackerson, based on our initial AI Hallucinations from the top of the page, it says he was born in 1983 and died in 2019. Then open Google and ask, "What year was Noble Ackerson born?" Look for any website ending in ".gov" or ".edu: or look for an autobiographical page since it is about a person.
When looking at credible sources, look at more than one page. The more sources you look at, the more confirmation you will have.
For instance, you could look at one page that says Ackerson was born in 1983 and another page that says otherwise. It is more credible if you were to look at five sources and they all say the same year.
Be specific with your searches. Names are often shared, even first and last names together. There is always a chance that there is more than one Noble Ackerson. In this instance, be specific about who he is. For example:
"What year was LynxFit co-creator Noble Ackerson born?"
Check the sources/references of the websites you are looking at. Even if the website seems credible and appears to have information credited by other websites, the sources are still important. A website is likely not to be credible if it has:
Old sources/articles, non-reliable webpages, like Wikipedia, a large amount of advertisements, common errors, such as poor grammar and spelling, or a lack of overall information (no "About" page, few articles, etc).
Use logic. Sounds simple, and really it should be. Just because you read something does not mean it is true. Use your intuition. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. If the information seems off, this is a sign to make sure it is correct. For example:
"Humans only use 10% of their brain." If you heard this for the first time, you might think this has a chance at being real, and it might but logically, it does not seem factual. Humans are capable of great things and inventions, and would require more than 10% of their brain power. There are also so many parts of the brain that all work simultaneously for even basic, everyday functions, so using that "fact" is logically not true. This is when you would fact-check.
AI does not always lie. Fact-checking is important. Be sure about the information you are learning. Be confident in what you know.
Why does this matter?
Why does this matter?
Artifical Intelligence is ever growing. Technology is advancing everyday and AI is only speeding it up. But why does this matter for you? Why does it matter for our new generations? AI use in school will only grow. Right now it is primarily used in ways for cheating or shortcuts but it can do so much more. Utilizing AI in the right ways can allow the new youth to innovate and create like never before; but before that can happen we need to be taught how to use AI correctly and show the depths of what AI can really do. We need to understand not just its possibilities, but its dangers as well. Dangers like data leaks, hacking, tracking, and more. We ask it as human vs artificial intelligence but really it should be human and artificial intelligence.
about the authors
about the authors
Julie Kubica
Julie Kubica
B.S. Psychology
Working on this webpage has highlighted the growing importance of AI literacy, especially as some fields and jobs already require familiarity with AI tools. I came into this course feeling relatively confident in my ability to use AI responsibly, but this project pushed me to examine AI-generated information with a more critical eye. I’ve learned how easily AI responses can appear accurate while still containing subtle inaccuracies, and how important it is to know what to question. Overall, this project has strengthened my ability to evaluate AI-generated material and to use these tools with greater care and discernment.
Kaylee Higgins
Kaylee Higgins
B.A. Psychology
This project means teaching youth about the ulterior and hidden motives of AI often going unnoticed in a tech focused world. I’ve learned that while AI can be helpful under many circumstances, it should not be seen as a primary source. It reminds me of the way our generation was taught about wikipedia and that it is not verifiable and we are now teaching that to the new generations in a way that is applicable to them.
Hawkin sweeney
Hawkin sweeney
B.A. Psychology
I've learned that attention levels are decreasing due to AI usage, and it is seen as a shortcut that seemingly offers high reward and low risk. In academic settings, this may not always be the case. In youth, the attention paid to details, learning, and understanding is decreased heavily. This project allows me to show that that doesn't have to be the case.
morgan wagoner
morgan wagoner
B.A. Psychology
This project has helped me learn the clear differences between human perception and the faulty version of AI “perception”. This is important because youth are turning to AI before their peers and educators. The content presented in our project can inform youth on the dangers of relying too heavily on AI for their main source of information.
AI Disclaimer statement
AI Disclaimer statement
We did use AI to complete this webpage.
We used AI Chatbots: ChatGPT for brainstorming the title, and Grammarly for grammatical revisions
References
References
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