english word · 2026-10-08
hallucination
noun
Meaning
A phenomenon where an artificial intelligence generates information that sounds confident and fluent but is factually incorrect or entirely invented. It is like a well-read storyteller who occasionally fills in gaps in their memory with vivid, made-up details that seem plausible at first glance.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'hallucinari', meaning to wander in the mind or dream.
Examples
"The developer had to double-check the legal citations because the model was prone to a subtle hallucination when discussing obscure case law."
"Reducing hallucination is a primary goal for researchers who want to use AI for medical diagnosis and academic research."
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