Studies Show AI Citation Consistency Varies Greatly Between Identical Queries

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Recent studies show AI models often provide different sources when asked the same question multiple times. One October 2026 study found cited domains changed significantly between identical runs, with overlap scores of 0.664 for OpenAI, 0.515 for Claude, and 0.319 for Gemini. Another study that same month found single questions could swing drastically, with one ChatGPT answer losing all its supporting figures on a repeat query. Researchers conclude that checking an AI's answer once provides limited insight into citation stability. The findings highlight the inherent variability in how different AI engines generate and attach sources to their responses.

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