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Mads Hansen
Mads Hansen

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AI database answers need citations, not just summaries

An AI answer from a live database should not end at the sentence.

If an assistant says:

“MRR is down 8% in EMEA.”

The next question is obvious:

Based on what?

For MCP database servers, citations should be part of the answer contract:

  • query ID
  • approved view or table family
  • timestamp and freshness window
  • row count or sample status
  • filters applied
  • redaction status
  • metric definition used
  • audit event ID

“Source: database” is not enough.

The answer needs a source trail that a human can inspect when the number matters.

Longer version: MCP database answer citations

Natural-language summaries are useful. Evidence is what makes them safe to trust.

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