IEEE Spectrum tests how easy it is to create a fake scientific paper with AI
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IEEE Spectrum describes an experiment in which a reporter tried to create a fake paper on optical solitons—light pulses that propagate without changing shape—using free AI tools and minimal human intervention. The publication also proposed a test with Jenny Mahoney, managing editor of IEEE Access, to assess a journal’s defenses against such a manuscript; the available material does not report the outcome.
According to estimates cited by IEEE Spectrum, 57% of academic papers published in 2025 showed detectable evidence of large language model influence, up from 12% in 2023, while more than 12% of Nature Communications reviews were reportedly entirely AI-generated. For every 40 papers with statistical evidence of AI use, only one reportedly disclosed it formally. Amanda Sulicz, IEEE’s research-integrity manager, warned that the problem threatens trust in science.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The experiment highlights how difficult it may be to distinguish scientific texts produced with AI and underscores the importance of review mechanisms and disclosure of AI use. Because the outcome of the test with the journal was not reported, the effectiveness of those defenses remains open; Amanda Sulicz’s assessment links the problem to trust in science.
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