Stale facts

Symptom

The workflow relies on model memory or an undated source for information that can change.

Signals to look for

• A price, policy, rate, or status appears without an observation date.
• The answer matches a superseded version of a document.
• The cited source is older than the freshness window for that kind of fact, or has no date.

Reproduce and diagnose

1. Record the question, the answer, the time it was produced, and any cited sources with their dates.
2. Observe the current authoritative source now and compare the value.
3. Check whether the answer came from model memory, an outdated index entry, an undated source, or a cached answer.

No retrieval means model memory is answering. A stale index means re-indexing is not keeping up. An undated source cannot support a current claim. A cached answer needs expiry tied to the freshness window. A more detailed prompt is not a substitute for repairing the missing condition.

Correct the workflow

• Define a freshness requirement.
• Retrieve authoritative current sources.
• Record observation dates and re-check before use.

Confirm the fix

• Pass: after a test source changes and is re-indexed, the answer reflects the new value.
• Pass: a source older than the window triggers a stop or a re-check. Fail: it is cited as current.
• Pass: an undated source is not accepted as support for a current fact.
• Pass: every current fact in the output shows its observation date.

Record what changed, which tests prove it, who reviewed it, and what would reopen the issue. One passing example is not enough.