How to Check Names, Dates and Numbers in AI-Generated Text
Polished prose can hide small factual errors. Extract names, dates, quantities and references into a separate check before the wording feels finished.
The more polished the paragraph sounds, the easier it is to skim past a small fact that changes the result.
Best for
- Published articles and website updates
- Customer communications and event details
- Reports, case studies and training materials
What you need
- The AI draft
- The controlling source or sources
- A person who can resolve contradictions
Create a factual detail ledger
Extract each detail that can be checked independently instead of leaving it buried inside fluent prose.
Extract checkable details
Look for names, job titles, dates, times, locations, prices, percentages, quantities, versions, contacts, links and reference codes.
Check each detail against the right source
Use the approved calendar for an event date, the current directory for a role, the official pricing page for a price and the original report for a percentage.
Preserve context around numbers
Check the period, sample size, unit, currency, baseline and whether the number is an estimate or applies only to one group.
Look for entity mixing
Ask whether the title belongs to this person, the date to this event and the feature to this plan. AI can combine details from similar entities.
A completed factual detail ledger
This is what a reviewer might record before approving an event announcement.
What changed in practice
Before
An event announcement used the date from an earlier planning version. The venue, speakers and wording were accurate, so the editor missed the old date.
After
The team extracted dates, names, locations and links into a ledger before reviewing style. The current date was checked first and the old version was removed.
Check before approval
- Names and roles match the current source.
- Dates and times use the correct version.
- Quantities retain units and context.
- Links and contact details work.
Common mistake
Checking totals but not units. Twenty hours and twenty days are both valid numbers, but they mean very different things.
Questions readers ask
Should I check every word?
No. Extract the details that could change meaning, authority, timing, cost or action. Then return to the prose review.
Can I check one AI draft against another?
No. Repeated information may repeat the same error. Use the controlling source instead.
What if a material detail cannot be confirmed?
Remove it, qualify it or pause the output. Do not choose the version that merely looks most likely.
Check the ordinary-looking detail
The error that reaches a live page may not be the dramatic claim. It may be the familiar date, title or number that readers skim past.
For broader context, see the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
Ready to check the whole answer?
Use a broader publication check after the factual detail ledger is complete.
Fact-check an AI answerPublished by the Nova9 editorial team. Last checked July 2026.
