Why AI Sometimes 'Hallucinates' and How We Reduce It
A hallucination is when an AI states something that sounds convincing but is simply untrue. It is the single biggest risk in deploying AI carelessly, so it is worth understanding.
The good news is that there are well-established ways to keep it in check.
Why It Happens
Language models are built to produce plausible text, not to verify facts. When they lack the right information, they fill the gap with something that fits the pattern — which can be wrong.
How We Reduce It
- Ground answers in your real documents using RAG.
- Ask the model to cite sources and refuse when unsure.
- Constrain the task so there is less room to invent.
- Keep a person in the loop for anything important.
What You Should Still Expect
Even with every safeguard, no system reaches zero errors. We aim to make mistakes rare, easy to spot and harmless — not to promise perfection, which no honest supplier can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can hallucinations be eliminated entirely?
No. They can be made rare and low-impact, but anyone promising zero errors is overselling.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.