GenAI Transparency Toolkit: 5 Red Flags & Prompts to Expose Them
Skills4Good AI: Master AI 4 Good
By: Josephine Yam, J.D., LLM., MA Phil (AI Ethics)
May 13, 2025. Read in browser.
The problem isn’t what AI knows. It’s what you think it knows.
Hallucinated facts. Unverifiable data. And no warning labels. When GenAI hides how it creates content, you’re the one holding the risk.
If you’re using GenAI to write, research, summarize, analyze, or draft policy — this toolkit is for you.
Because transparency isn’t optional.
It’s the line between using GenAI responsibly — or accidentally misleading your team, your clients, or the public.
This week, we’re giving you 5 red flags that signal a transparency gap — and the precise prompts to uncover them before they cost you.
What Is the Transparency Principle?
Transparency means openness about how an AI system is designed, trained, and operates.
It refers to your ability to assess the Gen AI tool’s logic, limitations, and data sources — so you can judge whether to trust its outputs.
Think of it like nutrition labels for AI.
You don’t need to understand the molecular chemistry of what you eat.
But you should know what’s inside your meal before consuming or serving it to others.
Real World Case: The Lawyers Who Used ChatGPT — and Got Sanctioned
In 2023, two lawyers filed a legal brief generated by ChatGPT.
It cited six cases to support their argument.
One problem: None of them existed.
ChatGPT had hallucinated entire judicial opinions. The lawyers believed it — then submitted it to federal court.
They were fined $5,000 for bad faith.
And they admitted: “We didn’t know AI could fabricate so confidently.”
The truth? They didn’t know what to ask.
That’s why this Transparency Toolkit exists.
GenAI Transparency Toolkit: 5 Red Flags — and the Prompts to Expose Them
Use this toolkit as a habit. A gut check. A professional safeguard. Each red flag shows you where risk hides. Each expert prompt helps you reveal what the AI won’t say unless asked.
Red Flag 1: You don’t know how the answer was generated
- What It Is: You asked a question. You got a clean answer. But you have no idea what reasoning process (if any) the GenAI followed.
- Why It Matters: When you can’t explain how the answer was produced, you can’t explain why anyone should trust that output. And that makes the answer risky to use in any critical or public-facing setting.
- Prompt to Use: “Act as a domain expert. Walk me through your step-by-step reasoning process for this answer. What patterns, assumptions, or examples influenced it?”
- Why This Prompt Works: It switches your GenAI from generating content to explaining logic. If it struggles to justify the output or gives a vague answer, you’ve just exposed the gap.
Red Flag 2: There are no sources, citations, or references
- What It Is: Your GenAI’s answer is confident. But it offers no citations, footnotes, URLs, or data sources to support its claim.
- Why It Matters: No source = no traceability. And without a trace, you can’t verify if the content is factual, outdated, or entirely invented.
- Prompt to Use: “Act as a research assistant. Provide the top 3 sources, references, or datasets that informed your last answer. Include URLs or publication names.”
- Why This Prompt Works: This prompt asks your GenAI to simulate its “research trail.” If it refuses, invents sources, or admits it doesn’t know — that’s your red flag to stop and verify independently.
Red Flag 3: The AI sounds confident — but has no basis for its tone
- What It Is: Your GenAI uses authoritative language — “This is correct,” “Studies show” — but offers no indicators of certainty or doubt.
- Why It Matters: GenAI tools are trained to sound fluent, not cautious. They rarely disclose how confident they are — unless you ask.
- Prompt to Use: “Rate your confidence in the previous answer from 1 to 10. Which parts are most reliable, and which are more speculative or assumed?”
- Why This Prompt Works: It creates a spectrum of certainty. And in that space, you often find the cracks — assumptions, probabilities, and knowledge gaps that were previously invisible.
Red Flag 4: The response might be hallucinated, but there’s no warning
- What It Is: Your GenAI’s output includes quotes, policies, names, or case studies, but you’re unsure if they’re real or fabricated.
- Why It Matters: GenAI fills in gaps with plausible-sounding fiction. If you don’t ask, it won’t tell you when it’s guessing.
- Prompt to Use: “Act as a fact-checker. Could any part of your previous answer be hallucinated, inferred, or fabricated? Highlight where and explain why.”
- Why This Prompt Works: This prompt invites your GenAI to self-audit its content. When hallucinations are present, you’ll often get a reluctant “this may not exist” disclosure you’d never get otherwise.
Red Flag 5: There’s no acknowledgment of limitations or alternatives
- What It Is: Your GenAI’s answer is overly absolute. It doesn’t note assumptions, blind spots, or conflicting perspectives.
- Why It Matters: High-quality human reasoning acknowledges complexity. If GenAI doesn’t offer alternatives, the answer may be masking bias — or giving you a one-sided view.
- Prompt to Use: “Provide an alternate explanation or answer to the same question based on different data or perspectives. Note if your previous answer was based on prediction or factual retrieval.”
- Why This Prompt Works: This forces GenAI to qualify its own output and offer nuance — helping you avoid overreliance on one narrow narrative.
“But Isn’t AI Always a Black Box?”
Yes — but not in the way most people think.
A black box means you can see the output, but you can’t see how it works. With GenAI, this is especially true: it doesn’t reveal the datasets, the reasoning path, or the source breakdown unless you explicitly ask.
So no — you may never fully understand how a large model works. But you can absolutely learn how to spot when the output is hiding too much.
These five prompts are your flashlight. They won’t unlock the black box — but they will shine a light on what’s inside.
Quick Start: Run This Transparency Toolkit in 5 Minutes
Here’s how to use it today:
- Open a recent GenAI response you used at work
- Pick one red flag from above
- Copy the corresponding prompt
- Paste it into your GenAI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)
- Watch what it reveals — and compare it to what you assumed
Now you’re not just using GenAI. You’re interrogating it. And that’s a real Responsible AI skill.
Over To You
Which prompt surprised you the most? Have you ever trusted an AI output, only to later question its truth? Reply and share your story - we’re building a global playbook for Responsible AI.
Share The Love
Found this issue valuable? Share this with your team using GenAI or send them this link to subscribe: https://skills4good.ai/newsletter/
Till next time, stay curious and committed to AI 4 Good!
Josephine and the Skills4Good AI Team
P.S. Want to stay ahead in Responsible AI?
Here’s how we can help you:
1. Fast-Track Membership: Essentials Made Easy
Short on time? Our Responsible AI Fast-Track Membership gives you 30 essential lessons - designed for busy professionals who want to master the fundamentals, fast
Start Your Fast Track: https://skills4good.ai/responsible-ai-fast-track-membership/
2. Professional Membership: Build Full Responsible AI Fluency
Go beyond the essentials. Our Professional Membership gives you access to our full Responsible AI curriculum - 130+ lessons to develop deep fluency, leadership skills, and strategic application.
Start Your Responsible AI Certification: https://skills4good.ai/responsible-ai-professional-membership/