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AI Chatbots Fabricate Citations, Eroding Trust in Sources

12/11/2025

47 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini generate fake citations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns that these systems fabricate archival references.
Researchers report about 15% more AI-generated reference questions at the Library of Virginia.
Users trust AI over experts and request non-existent books and articles.
The spread of AI content undermines genuine sources and makes reliable information harder to locate.

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Story summary

AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Gemini generate fake citations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns that these systems fabricate archival references.
Researchers report about 15% more AI-generated reference questions at the Library of Virginia.
Users trust AI over experts and request non-existent books and articles.
The spread of AI content undermines genuine sources and makes reliable information harder to locate.