With artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly being woven into the fabric of our existence, the age-old question growing in significance is: Can AI lie? Or rather, is AI lying to you? All you need to do in response is know how and where the information that comes through the AI system originates.

They do not possess human faculties like intent or conscience. They do not “lie” as humans do – namely, with the intent to deceive. But they can and do provide information that is false or misleading, which, in effect, can give the average user the impression that they’re being lied to.

The source of the issue lies in training the AI models. Those systems are trained using massive sets of information culled together from books, articles, web pages, and everywhere in between. Although the greater majority of this information is accurate, it has mistakes, outdated information, skewed opinions, or outright fictional content in it too. So when coming up with answers, AI ends up blending fact and fiction together and coming up with answers that it thinks are correct but aren't – often referred to in AI communities as "hallucinations."

Another reason is that answers are generated by means of AI. Language models are trained so that they predict the next most probable word or phrase based on the context delivered. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the facts are verified or that the truth is seen by the AI. It will simply generate what it has statistically been trained as the most probable answer. It can do that and provide false quotes, attribute sources inappropriately, or make information that doesn’t exist — all again with no malice towards lying, but by virtue of it taking the predictive route.

Misinformation in artificial intelligence poses the greatest issues in areas such as medicine, law, finance, and journalism, where precision in information is most critical. A misleading statement or inaccuracy has severe consequences. That’s why it’s most critical for users, especially professionals, to verify any information obtained using artificial intelligence prior to implementing it in real-world decision procedures.

Major tech groups are aware of this issue and are investing in AI alignment, systems for fact-checking, and human loops in feedback in attempts to reduce such errors. But the problem remains decidedly unresolved. Until AI can genuinely understand context, subtlety, and veracity — something which humans themselves do poorly despite centuries of education and socialization — the potential for erroneous “lies” will persist.

So, is the AI misleading you? Well, not necessarily. But it can lead you astray with false or misleading information if taken unskeptically. For now, it remains the user's responsibility to treat the AI as a helpful assistant rather than as an infallible prophet.

Ahead, the question will be less about whether or not AI lies but about if we will question and cross-check what it claims. In the age of robotics and smart devices, critical thinking will be our best defense against misinformation – however confident it’s delivered.