Each hallucination fix solves one problem and leaves four others open. AI agents hallucinate in five distinct ways: fabricating data when retrieval returns nothing, picking wrong tools when descriptions overlap, ignoring business rules, failing on soft constraints, and bypassing hard requirements. One guardrail covers one failure mode. This talk maps each failure to its own defense. Graph-based retrieval computes from structured data instead of guessing, eliminating fabrication. Semantic tool routing through protocol discovery replaces brittle keyword matching. Database-driven rules update in seconds without redeployment. STEER messages guide self-correction, so a request for 15 guests becomes an agent that adjusts to 10 and tells the user. Framework hooks block operations the LLM must never bypass. You'll walk away with: • A layered defense covering all five failure modes • The STEER pattern for self-correction • Database-driven rules that change behavior without redeployment • A decision framework for hard hooks versus soft steering Demonstrated across 8 adversarial scenarios with zero hallucinations.

Outline: • Your AI Agent Hallucinates in 5 Different Ways • Grounded Retrieval with Graph Queries • Semantic Tool Routing • Steering Rules + STEER Messages • Hard Hooks That Cannot Be Bypassed • Full Layered Defense Test • Resources + Q&A