AI hallucinations are not just for text — they happen in code too. The AI generates code that looks correct but uses libraries, functions, or API methods that do not exist. I found 3 recurring patterns.
What are the 3 most common AI coding hallucinations?
1. Fake API methods — the AI generates a function call that looks real but does not exist in the library docs. 2. Importing modules that do not exist — the AI assumes a package includes utilities it does not have. 3. Deprecated syntax — the AI uses an older version’s API. These are hard to catch because the code looks right. The fix: test every AI-generated function immediately after generation.
How do you catch hallucinations before they cause damage?
Run the code immediately. Do not review the diff first. Run it. If it errors, the error message tells you exactly what the AI hallucinated. I caught a fake Stripe API method this way — the AI generated stripe.customers.createBillingPortal which does not exist. The error message saved me 20 minutes of debugging.
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