How to Check the Facts About Google’s Gemini Artificial Intelligence

As we are learning, AI chatbots like Gemini can be very powerful. They can also be wrong . Gemini is a useful research tool that can generate ideas and data. However, before you start playing with a Gemini, remember the golden rule of fact-finding—consider the source. Also know the second rule: AI chatbots are not search engines .

Note. The tips and screenshots below are taken from the basic version of Gemini Pro (free tier).

Use Gemini only to start research.

Geminis can understand text, pictures, audio and more. Add to this complex reasoning and you have an incredible bank of information. But start your fishing trip with skepticism, because the first generation multi-mode engine is far from perfect. Support your search with more reliable sources such as alternative search engines and reputable websites.

Google warns against relying on Gemini’s responses for medical, legal, financial or other professional advice, or giving personal information to a data-hungry chatbot.

Look at cited sources

In many cases, Gemini will mention the source. If Gemini cites directly from a web page, it will cite the page with the link. Otherwise, for multiple sources, a popular website will be mentioned in parentheses.

Review the quote and check whether Gemini understood the context correctly. Is this link the best source for your answer?

Turn on the Real-time Replies setting.

Make sure Real-Time Replies is enabled by default. If this feature is enabled, you will see the Gemini response appear gradually, often line by line, rather than in one block. This makes Gemini feel faster, but also allows you to see if Gemini is struggling with information or a clue. You can use these visual clues to review the answer or change the clue.

Connect to other sources using Gemini extensions.

Gemini and its applications can use extensions to provide more comprehensive results; these extensions connect to several other Google services. For example, it might automatically receive a travel tip from you and connect to Google Flights or Google Maps to provide a personalized response. With YouTube as an extension and an extensive search engine, you can ask Gemini to retrieve videos and the information they contain for more information.

To use one extension, enter a prompt, then enter @ and select an extension. Then click the “Submit” button.

Double check the answer

After Gemini responds, click the Google logo button. Double Check Answer is a built-in fact checking feature (via Google search). Click on it and Gemini will highlight parts of the answer in three different colors. You can also select Understand Results to see what each highlight means.

• Text highlighted in green suggests content similar to the answer. Click the down arrows to read more from the source. This Gemini feature makes it easy to check citations.

• Orange highlights indicate differences or absence of relevant content. You’ll have to do a little manual digging here.

• Finally, lack of highlighting means there is not enough information, so you can ignore this part of Gemini’s answer if you don’t feel confident.

Gemini also displays several “search related topics” below the answer. They open more results in Google search.

Keep practicing your rapid design skills

Ultimately, giving Geminis more information and context through tips is the best way to achieve better results. Google suggests you follow these guidelines:

• Use natural language.

• Be clear and concise.

• Provide context.

• Use specific and relevant keywords.

• Break complex tasks into individual clues.

Finish customizing Gemini’s responses.

Change Gemini’s answers to suit your wishes. You can edit the original invitation or play with the three draft responses that the chatbot generates. The Edit Selected Text feature can then be used to customize any selected portion of the response. You can change the length of the answer, change the tone, or simply regenerate the whole thing with more context.

Review all the drafts a Gemini throws. Then “Like” or “Dislike” the versions (with the “Good Answer” and “Bad Answer” icons) so Gemini knows where they got it wrong.

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