# What is an AI hallucination?

> When an AI states something false with confidence, such as a made-up fact, quote, or Bible verse.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/christian-ai-glossary/hallucination
By Andrew Kittridge · November 10, 2026

## Why it matters for Christians

A model can invent a verse or attach real words to the wrong reference. Open every citation.

## What to do

Open every verse an AI quotes, in a Bible or with the free verse checker. Watch for real-sounding verses that are not in the Bible and real words given the wrong reference. Ask the AI to say when it is unsure.

## Read more

- [Does ChatGPT invent Bible verses?](https://www.lumin.faith/does-chatgpt-invent-bible-verses)
- [Can AI interpret the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/can-ai-interpret-the-bible)
- [Can I use ChatGPT for Bible study?](https://www.lumin.faith/chatgpt-bible-study)

## Related words

- [Citation](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-ai-glossary/citation.md): A named source, such as a Bible reference or document, that supports a claim in an answer.
- [Grounding](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-ai-glossary/grounding.md): Giving a model real source text to answer from, such as Bible passages or church documents, instead of relying on memory alone.
- [Large language model](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-ai-glossary/large-language-model.md): An AI model trained on vast amounts of text to predict likely next words. It powers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and most Christian chat apps.

Every word: [Christian AI glossary](https://www.lumin.faith/christian-ai-glossary.md)