An instance where an AI tool generates false, fabricated, or unsupported information presented confidently as fact — a statistic that doesn't exist, a quote never actually said, a source that was never real.
Why it matters
Hallucinations are a genuine, ongoing risk of using AI tools for content or research, and are exactly why AI-assisted marketing content needs human fact-checking before it ships — an AI hallucinating a fake statistic in a published piece is both an accuracy and a real reputational risk.
In a sentence
"We caught the hallucinated statistic during fact-checking, but it was a good reminder that anything AI-generated needs a source verification pass before it goes out."