Centre co-director Dr Ben Williamson has been speaking up on his social media channels and in conversation with media about the disconcertingly growing phenomenon of "Frankencitations" or "scholarly slop", meaning the appearance and proliferation of fake, AI-generated citations in academic publishing.
Most recently, he held interviews on the matter with columnist John Warner at Inside Higher Ed and with Kathryn Hulick at Science News Explores, a publication for children aged 9 and up, parents and educators.
An alarming phenomenon affecting learners and academics alike, that of AI-hallucinated citations has an impact not just on the relationship of trust between authors and editors but also on perceived academic integrity and, in some cases, even on one's compliance to law.
Read the articles at the links below:
- Don’t trust AI for help with citations, science-fair judges warn, Science News Explores
- Frankencitations Ravage the Academic Countryside, Inside Higher Ed