The Economic Times

Nearly 1.46 lakh AI-hallucinated references entered scientific papers in 2025: Study

A surge in AI-generated hallucinated citations has infiltrated scientific literature, with over 146,000 fabricated references appearing in 2025 alone. Studies reveal these fake citations are bypassing peer review and appearing in published journals, disproportionately affecting less experienced authors and solo researchers. Safeguards are proving inadequate, raising concerns about the integrity of scientific records.