Last year, after spending a few days at a work summit in Austria, I asked Perplexity for the latest news related to SEO and AI search. It responded with details about a supposed “September 2025 ‘Perspective’ Core Algorithm Update” that Google had just rolled out, emphasizing “deeper expertise” and “completion of the user journey.” It sounded plausible enough… if you don’t live and breathe Google core updates. Unfortunately for Perplexity, I do. I knew instantly that this information wasn’t right. For one, Google hasn’t named core updates in years. It also already had SERP features called “Perspectives.” And if a core update had actually rolled out while I was away, I would’ve been flooded with messages. So I checked Perplexity’s sources… and, surprise! Both citations came from made-up, AI-generated slop on a couple of SEO agency blogs, confidently fabricating details about an algorithm update that never actually happened.…