Checking AI product text for wrong or invented claims

Read the draft with the product and the fact sheet beside you. Every sentence that states something checkable gets matched to a fact you hold, or it comes out.

Google's advice for generated content is blunt: it's critical to manually fact-check and review all AI-generated content for accuracy and trustworthiness before publishing.¹ The reason is that generative models don't retrieve facts, so inaccuracies can turn up anywhere.¹

Wikipedia notes that chatbots may embed plausible-sounding random falsehoods within what they write.² Plausible is the problem. A wrong claim that sounds odd gets caught. One that sounds like every other product page doesn't.

The review pass

• Highlight every claim you could prove or disprove. Sizes, weights, materials, colours, what's included, compatibility, origin, care instructions, delivery, stock.
• Match each one to your fact sheet. If it isn't there, it's suspect, even if it's true. The tool had no way to know it.
• Check against the product itself for anything the fact sheet took from a supplier.
• Cut what you can't match. Don't soften it. Delete it.

Where invented claims hide

• Adjectives that imply a fact. "Waterproof", "hard-wearing", "hypoallergenic" and "handmade" are all claims, not decoration.
• Numbers. If a figure isn't on your sheet, it came from the tool.
• Lists of features. A feature or two may have been added that your product doesn't have.
• Use cases. "Ideal for hiking" suggests a performance level you may not have tested or sourced.
• Promises. "Lasts for years", "no more X" and "works every time" are promises about the future.
• Compatibility. "Fits all models" is rarely checkable.

Check the impression too

The ACCC says a business should check that the overall general impression is accurate. It adds that any statement creating a false impression about goods and services can break the law.³ So a draft can pass line by line and still mislead. A photo of a leather bag beside the words "premium finish" may suggest real leather when the bag is synthetic.

The ACCC also lists omitting relevant information among the things a business shouldn't do.³ If the item needs batteries that aren't included, say so.

The same page says a business should back up claims with facts and evidence.³ Keep your fact sheet. If anyone queries a claim, it's your evidence.

Don't forget the small text

Google's advice applies to metadata as well: page titles, meta descriptions, structured data and image alt text can all show up in search results.¹ If AI wrote your alt text or your page title, check those too. Alt text that describes a detail the photo doesn't show is a wrong claim in a smaller font.

Make it a habit

Have a person other than the one who wrote the prompt do the match, if you have the staff. A second reader isn't tired of the product. If it's only you, leave the draft overnight and check it again with fresh eyes.

Tick off a short list each time: claims highlighted, each matched, unmatched ones cut, impression read as a whole, title and alt text checked. The page on risky wording covers the kinds of wording that need extra care even when the facts are right.