A new audit published in The Lancet has flagged large-scale fabrication in biomedical literature, finding thousands of citations pointing to medical research that does not exist. Researchers identified 4,046 fabricated references across 2,810 published papers, raising alarms about how misinformation can enter peer-reviewed work and distort future studies, clinical decisions, and funding priorities.
South Africa has withdrawn its initial national AI policy after reviewers found fictitious citations embedded in the draft, reportedly linked to AI-generated content. Minister Solly Malatsi said the policy’s authenticity is in question and emphasized that human oversight must guide AI deployment. Those responsible for the discrepancies may face sanctions as the government resets its approach.
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