A hallucination in generative AI occurs when the model produces output that is not accurate, factual, or consistent with the input. A common example is a model generating a summary of an article that includes details not present in the original article, or even fabricating information entirely. Here's a more detailed breakdown:Example:Imagine you ask a generative AI chatbot for information on the capital of France. The model could hallucinate and incorrectly state that the capital is London, even if its training data clearly indicates that Paris is the capital. Incorrect Predictions:An AI model might predict that a specific event will occur when it's highly unlikely, such as a stock market crash when there's no indication of such an event. Sentence Contradiction:The model might generate a sentence that contradicts a previous sentence in its output. For example, if prompted to write a birthday card, it might say "Happy Birthday, mom," and then contradict itself with "We are celebrating our first anniversary". Factual Contradiction:The model might present fictitious information as a fact, for example, stating that a particular historical figure lived in a different time period. Irrelevant or Random Hallucinations:The model might generate random information with little to no connection to the user's prompt or the context of the conversation. These hallucinations can have serious consequences, particularly in applications where accuracy and reliability are critical, according to Aisera and Zapier. For example, misinforming users about medical conditions or giving financial advice based on false information could have severe consequences.