Know if a viral claim is real before you share it with family
Researchers got 8 of 10 AI search tools to cite an idea they made up. This check shows you when that happens.
Published . Steps as of October 2026.
How can I check if something I saw online is true using AI?
Ask an AI search tool like Perplexity about the claim, then ask it to list who runs each source and whether the sources are independent. Perplexity fits best because it shows its links in the answer. ChatGPT or Gemini work too when you ask them to search and list sources. Start a fresh thread for each claim, and open two or three links yourself, since a study found most AI search tools can repeat a made-up idea within a week.
A picture made with AI to show the idea.
Your prompt
Fill in your details. Skip any you like.
ChatGPT opens with your prompt already typed in. Perplexity and Gemini can't be filled in from a link, so those buttons copy your prompt: paste it into the new chat.
The prompt that gets copied
Someone shared this claim with me: [THE CLAIM, e.g. a new rule bans cash at gas stations]. Check it carefully: 1. Is it true, false, partly true, or unproven right now? Say which in the first line. 2. List each source you used in a table: source, who runs it, when it was published, and whether it's independent of the others or copies the same original post. 3. Tell me if most of the evidence traces back to one blog, video or forum post. 4. Point to the most reliable original source (an official body, the company itself, or a major news outlet) and say what it actually says. 5. Give me one calm sentence I could send to [WHO SHARED IT, e.g. my sister] either way. If you can't find a solid original source, say so plainly instead of guessing.
Ask an AI search tool about a claim you saw online, then make it show who's behind each source. You get a verdict that tells you whether the claim rests on several independent sources or just one echo.
Step by step
- Open Perplexity in a fresh thread and paste the prompt with the claim
- Open two or three of the cited links yourself
- Ask a follow-up in a new thread if the answer leans on one site or one author
- Share the claim only if it holds up, or send the family the verdict instead
What you'll get
A one-word verdict, a table of sources showing who's behind each and whether they're independent, and a calm line you can send to whoever shared it.
Works on free plans. Start a fresh thread for each claim so earlier answers don't steer it.
- Made for
- Everyone
- Works in
- Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini
Before