Quick check
Guess first, no penalty. How does an AI chat tool write its answer?
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are AI chat tools: apps that write answers to what you type. They're built on large language models, which are trained on huge amounts of text to predict a likely next word, then the next, and so on. That's why the writing comes out fast and fluent.
Two things follow. The model is matching patterns, not checking facts. And it doesn't look anything up unless the tool has web search turned on or you give it a file to read.
The model also has a training cutoff: a date after which it learned nothing. Ask about last month's product launch or a new law and it may say it doesn't know, or fill the gap with a guess.
A mental model
Treat it like a fast, well-read intern, a trainee who rarely admits a gap on its own. You still check the numbers, the quotes and the dates before the work goes out.
A prompt is the message you send to the tool. This one makes it admit gaps, which improves the answer:
Answer the question above. At the end, list anything you're not sure
about or couldn't check. If you don't know, say so.Fill the gaps
Fill the gaps so the tool tells you what it isn't sure about.
Prompt
What should a new cashier know about handling refunds? At the end, . If you don't know, .
Try it
Your steps, about 2 minutes
- 1.Ask the tool a plain question about something you know well, like your city or your last job. End with: "At the end, list anything you're not sure about or couldn't check." See what it flags.2 min