What is LLM Grounding?

What is grounding?

Grounding connects LLM outputs to verified external sources like documents, databases, or APIs. This reduces hallucinations by ensuring the model's responses are based on factual, retrievable information rather than just parametric knowledge.

Grounding Techniques

RAG: Retrieve relevant documents before generation
Tool use: Call APIs for real-time data
Citations: Require sources for claims
Knowledge graphs: Structured fact verification

Grounding Limitations

Grounding helps but doesn't solve everything:

Models can misinterpret retrieved sources
Can hallucinate connections between facts
May generate claims not supported by sources
Still requires monitoring for accuracy

Does grounding eliminate hallucinations?

No. Grounding significantly reduces hallucinations but doesn't eliminate them. Models can still misinterpret sources, hallucinate connections, or generate unsupported claims. Monitor grounded outputs for factual accuracy.