AI Glossary Term
What does “False Positive” mean?
Definition
An incorrect prediction where a model incorrectly flags a negative case as positive.
How False Positive works
Example
A spam filter sends a legitimate job offer to the junk folder. That is a false positive: the model said spam, but the email was fine. The sender might never get a reply.
Why it matters
False alarms cost time, trust, and sometimes fairness. A system that flags too many people wrongly can do real harm.
Common questions
Which metric reflects false positives?
Precision: it drops as false positives rise.
Are false positives always less serious than false negatives?
No. In areas like fraud accusations or criminal justice, wrongly flagging someone can be very harmful.
How do I reduce them?
Raise the decision threshold or improve the model, accepting that more true cases may be missed.