Protocol
Cross-check the fact before the agent acts on it
Confidence is a writing style. Evidence is a different object.
When it fits
- A generated factual claim will drive a consequential decision, message, configuration or transaction.
When to avoid it
- A cited page can be wrong, stale or derivative; source quality and independence still matter.
Why it matters
Identify the factual proposition that matters to the action, then verify it against a trusted primary or independent source appropriate to the domain. Keep the source with the decision so later reviewers can see what was actually checked. Increase scrutiny with impact; low-stakes drafting does not need the same burden as a legal, financial, security or medical action.
Steps
- The consequential action no longer depends solely on an uncited model assertion.
An example
Before an agent changes an API integration based on a remembered parameter, check the current vendor documentation for that endpoint.
Check your result
The consequential action no longer depends solely on an uncited model assertion.
Keep this limit in mind
- A cited page can be wrong, stale or derivative; source quality and independence still matter.
Connected ideas
Useful withValidate model output for the system that will consume it
Evidence and sources
OWASP recommends cross-checking critical LLM outputs against trusted external sources and using human oversight for sensitive information.
Two sources are not independent merely because two pages repeat the same underlying claim.
LLM09:2025 Misinformation · Cross-Verification and Human Oversight