The trust framework: three categories
✅ Trust freely
These are tasks where Claude’s pattern-matching is reliable and the cost of a small error is low:
- Writing: emails, letters, posts, essays, scripts, messages
- Explaining: concepts, processes, history, science (general)
- Brainstorming: ideas, names, options, plans, approaches
- Editing: grammar, clarity, tone, structure
- Summarizing: long documents, articles, reports
- Learning: understanding topics you want to know more about
- Coding: writing and explaining computer programs
For these tasks, use Claude like a skilled assistant and review the output before using it.
⚠️ Use with verification
These are tasks where Claude can help you understand and prepare — but the stakes are high enough that you should verify before acting:
Medical information: Claude can explain a diagnosis, describe a medication, or help you understand what a doctor said. But it cannot examine you, see your tests, or know your full medical history. Use Claude to prepare smart questions for your doctor — not to replace the appointment.
Legal information: Claude can explain what legal terms mean, describe how a process works, or help you understand a contract. But it is not a lawyer and cannot give you legal advice for your specific situation. Use Claude to understand — then consult a lawyer for decisions.
Financial information: Claude can explain concepts, describe options, and help you understand a financial product. But market conditions change and your situation is unique. Use Claude to learn — then verify with a financial professional.
Specific facts: Dates, statistics, quotes, research findings — Claude can be wrong. For anything important enough to cite or act on, verify with a primary source.
🚫 Never share with any AI
Regardless of what a website, app, or AI asks you for, never share:
- Social Security numbers or National ID numbers
- Passwords (any passwords, for anything)
- Bank account or credit card numbers
- Medical record numbers
- Your children’s full names combined with their school or location
No legitimate AI system needs this information to help you. If you encounter a request for this information from any AI or chatbot, stop the conversation.
The hallucination problem, honestly explained
“Hallucination” is the technical term for when AI makes something up and presents it as fact. It happens because Claude generates responses by predicting what words should come next — and sometimes that prediction produces plausible-sounding content that’s not accurate.
This is not a bug that will be completely fixed. It’s a fundamental aspect of how these systems work. Understanding it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use AI — it means you use AI wisely.
Claude is most likely to hallucinate when:
- Asked about very specific facts (exact dates, statistics, quotes)
- Asked about people who aren’t widely famous
- Asked about recent events (after its training cutoff)
- Asked to provide sources or citations (it may invent them)
- Asked about niche, specialized topics
Claude is least likely to hallucinate when:
- Writing, editing, or brainstorming
- Explaining well-established concepts
- Helping with structure, format, and organization
- Working with information you’ve provided in the conversation
A final word on privacy
Claude.ai is operated by Anthropic, a company with a clear privacy policy. Your conversations are not sold to advertisers. However, they may be reviewed to improve the AI’s safety and performance.
For this reason, treat AI conversations like email — don’t put anything there you’d be devastated to see shared. You don’t need to be paranoid, but you should be sensible.
The simplest rule: If you wouldn’t want it on a postcard, don’t put it in an AI chat.
Knowing what to trust and what to verify is not about being suspicious of AI. It’s about using every tool correctly. A hammer is great for nails and bad for screws. Claude is great for writing and understanding — and needs backup for facts and professional decisions. That’s not a weakness. It’s just the right way to use the tool.