VerifAI

A Chrome extension for fact-checking text using local AI models via Ollama.

What it does

Select any text on a webpage, click a button, and get a fact-check verdict powered by a local LLM. No cloud APIs, no data collection, everything runs on your machine.

Why I built this

Most fact-checking tools send your data to external servers. I wanted something that:

• Runs entirely locally
• Doesn't require API keys
• Can search the web for verification
• Gives clear verdicts with sources

Features

Fact-Checking

• Select text and click the floating button
• Right-click context menu option
• Manual entry in the side panel
• Keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Enter)

Local AI

• Uses Ollama models running on your machine
• Automatically detects which models support function calling
• No external API calls for AI processing

Web Search

• AI can search DuckDuckGo to verify claims
• Sources ranked by credibility (government, academic, news, etc.)
• Results displayed with clickable links

Verdicts

• TRUE, FALSE, PARTIALLY TRUE, or UNVERIFIABLE
• Confidence level (HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW)
• Supporting evidence and sources

Requirements

1. Install Ollama
2. Pull a model:

   ollama pull qwen2.5

3. Start Ollama:

   ollama serve

Installation

1. Clone the repo:

   git clone https://github.com/LiteObject/verifai.git

2. Open Chrome, go to chrome://extensions/

3. Enable "Developer mode"

4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the verifai folder

Usage

Option 1: Select text on any page, click the floating "Fact-check" button

Option 2: Select text, right-click, choose "Fact-check with VerifAI"

Option 3: Open the side panel, paste text, click Fact-Check

Project Structure

verifai/
├── manifest.json       # Extension manifest (V3)
├── sidepanel.html      # UI and styles
├── sidepanel.js        # Main logic, Ollama integration
├── content.js          # Text selection handling
├── background.js       # Service worker, context menu
├── icons/              # Extension icon (SVG)
└── README.md

Configuration

Edit the CONFIG object in sidepanel.js:

const CONFIG = {
    OLLAMA_ENDPOINT: 'http://localhost:11434',
    REQUEST_TIMEOUT: 120000,
    MAX_SEARCH_ITERATIONS: 3,
    MAX_RETRIES: 3,
};

Recommended Models

These models work well for fact-checking:

• qwen2.5 - Good reasoning, supports function calling
• llama3.1 - Balanced speed and accuracy
• mistral - Fast responses

Troubleshooting

No models showing up?

• Make sure Ollama is running (ollama serve)
• Check ollama list to see installed models
• Click Refresh in the extension settings

Side panel won't open?

• Requires Chrome 114 or newer
• Try reloading the extension

Slow responses?

• Try a smaller model variant
• Check available system memory

Privacy

All processing happens locally. No data leaves your machine. No analytics, no tracking.

License

Open source. See repository for details.

Links

• Ollama
• Chrome Extensions Documentation