Why AI Hallucinates

AI "hallucination" isn't a bug—it's a fundamental feature of how these systems work.

Why it happens:
- Models generate plausible-sounding text based on patterns
- They don't have a fact database to check against
- They can't distinguish between "I learned this" and "this sounds right"
- Confident tone doesn't indicate accuracy

Common hallucination patterns:
- Citing non-existent research papers
- Inventing historical events or quotes
- Generating plausible but wrong code
- Creating fake statistics

Mitigation: Always verify important facts, especially citations, statistics, and code logic.