Key takeaways
- Ask several AI tools the same simple questions about you, and save each answer with the date.
- Most wrong answers come from a public source. Find that source before you try anything else.
- Fix the source first: your own pages, your profiles, or a polite request to the publisher.
- Then use each tool's feedback button, and its privacy request form if the answer shares personal details.
- Changes can take time, especially in what a model learned during training. Check again every few weeks.
Finding out that an AI tool says something wrong about you is unsettling. It might list the wrong job, mix you up with someone else, or repeat an old story as if it happened yesterday. And there is no obvious person to call.
The good news is that there is a clear, honest way to work on it. This guide shows you how to check what the tools say, trace each mistake back to where it came from, fix it at the source, and use the tools' own forms. If you want to understand why the mistakes happen in the first place, read how AI tools decide what to say about you.
Check what AI tools say about you
Start by getting a clear picture. One odd answer from one tool may not matter much. The same mistake in several tools usually points to a real source online.
- Ask several tools: for example ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Meta AI, and Google Search, where AI Overviews may appear.
- Use simple questions: "Who is [your full name]?", "What is [your business] known for?", and the question a customer or employer would really ask.
- Start a new chat each time, so earlier messages do not shape the answer.
- Save every answer: take a screenshot or copy the text, and note the tool, the date, and your exact question.
Find where the mistake comes from
AI tools rarely invent a whole story out of nothing. Most mistakes can be traced to a page somewhere. These clues help you find it:
- Look at the links. If the answer lists sources, open each one and look for the wrong detail.
- Search the claim. Search Google for your name plus the wrong detail, such as an old job title or a town you never lived in.
- Check your own pages. Old bios, past websites, and forgotten profiles are a very common source.
- Check directories and listings. Business directories and people-search sites often hold old or mixed-up details.
- Look for your namesakes. If the details belong to someone else with your name, note what is theirs and what is yours.
If you cannot find any source, the tool may be filling a gap with a guess. That often happens when there is very little clear information about you online, which the next section helps with too.
Fix the source first
Fixing the source helps every tool at once, and it helps Google too. Work through these steps in order:
Correct your own pages
Update your website, your "about" page, and any bio you control. State the key facts plainly: your name, role, location, and what you do.
Update your profiles and listings
Bring your social profiles, your Google Business Profile, and directory listings up to date, and make the details match.
Ask publishers to correct errors
If a news site or blog has a fact wrong, send the editor a short, polite request with proof. Our guide on getting a news article corrected shows how.
Remove private details
If a page shares your home address or phone number, use the site's removal process and Google's tools. See how to remove personal details from Google.
Ask Google to refresh old copies
When a page changes or is removed, Google may still show the old version for a while. Google's removal tools explain how to ask for a refresh.
Use the tools' own feedback and privacy forms
Once the source is fixed, tell the AI tools directly. Every major tool has some way to report a bad answer.
- Feedback buttons: most chat tools show a thumbs-down or "report" option under each answer. Use it, and say in one sentence what is wrong.
- Google's AI Overviews: use the feedback option shown with the overview. If the problem is a web page, Google's normal removal tools apply to that page.
- Privacy request forms: many AI companies have a privacy request process for people who want to ask about personal information in answers. OpenAI, for example, has one for ChatGPT. Look in each tool's privacy policy or help centre.
- Data protection rights: if you live in the EU or the UK, the GDPR gives you rights over your personal data, such as asking for it to be corrected or deleted. These may apply to AI companies. This is general information, not legal advice.
If an answer makes a serious false claim, such as accusing you of a crime, keep your saved copies and speak to a lawyer about your options. We are not lawyers and cannot advise on legal claims.
Check again over time
Changes do not appear everywhere at once. Tools that search the web can pick up a fixed page fairly soon. What a model learned in training usually only changes when the company releases a newer model, which can take months. Nobody can promise when an answer will change.
- 01CheckAsk the tools and save answers.
- 02TraceFind the page behind the mistake.
- 03FixCorrect the source, then report.
- 04RecheckAsk again every few weeks.
Keep a simple log: the date, the tool, the question, and what it said. Over a few months, you will see which mistakes have gone and which need another look. To stay ahead of new problems, our guide on keeping an eye on your name online explains easy ways to watch for new pages.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Every platform and country has its own rules, and they change. We are not lawyers. For legal questions about your case, please speak to a qualified lawyer.