AI & models
Hallucination
When an AI states something false with complete confidence — citing a function that doesn't exist, inventing a file, or misremembering how a tool works. It isn't lying; it's pattern-matching to a plausible-sounding answer when it doesn't actually know.
Why it matters
Part of When AI is wrong → This is why the verify habit matters: read what Claude did before you trust it. Hallucinations are usually caught in seconds — if you look.