Admit uncertainty
The assistant is not sure of its answer. How should it say so?
Say it plainly, show how sure it is, and tell the person what to check.
Try it
Assistant:
Your flight probably lands around 14:20. The airline may have shifted it, so check the app on the day.
Medium confidenceModerate confidence. Spot-check key facts.
How to design it
- 1
Match the words to the doubt
Use "I am not sure" when it is true, and plain statements when it is not.
- 2
Show a simple level
A short bar or a few words about how sure it is works better than a percentage.
- 3
Say what to check
Point to the one thing worth a second look.
- 4
Label what it wrote
A small AI mark tells people this came from the assistant.
Do and avoid
Do
- Say "I could not find this" when you could not.
- Tell people what to do next.
- Keep the tone calm, not scared.
- Show low confidence in amber only if the person must act.
Avoid
- Do not sound sure about everything.
- Do not bury doubt in a long disclaimer.
- Do not add warnings to every answer.
- Do not base the level on the model's own rating of itself; use how well the sources support the answer, or a measured success rate (see the Trust and safety guide).
Why it works
People judge an answer partly by how it sounds. A confident tone makes a wrong answer feel right. Honest doubt helps people spend their care where it is needed, and it makes the sure answers more believable.