Gemini is confidently stating things that are not true. The model optimises for plausible text, not verified fact, so accuracy is something you have to engineer into the prompt.
Prompt changes that work
- Ground it. Paste the source document and instruct: "answer only using the text above".
- Allow "I don''t know". Explicitly permit uncertainty or the model will guess.
- Ask for steps first. Reasoning before the answer exposes faulty logic.
- Be specific about scope. Narrow questions produce checkable answers; broad ones invite invention.
Settings (API)
- Lower temperature for factual work.
- Enable search grounding when the answer depends on current information.
- Use a Pro model for multi-step reasoning rather than a Lite model.
Always verify
Never publish figures, citations, legal or medical claims from Gemini without independent confirmation. Fabricated citations are common and look entirely convincing.
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