Reputable and sketchy academic journals alike are publishing AI-generated research papers feature obvious Chat GPT-penned phrases such as "as of my last knowledge update" and "I don't have access to real-time data".
Most of the scientific papers I looked at that included this phrase were published journals that are small, not well known, and appear to be "paper mills," journals with low editorial standards that will publish almost anything quickly. One publication where I found the AI-generated phrase, the Open Access Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, advertises "low publication charges," an "e-certificate" of publication, and is currently advertising a call for papers, promising acceptance within 48 hours and publication within four days.
[…]But we also found AI-generated language in more reputable academic journals. Last week, Bellingcat researcher Kolina Koltai tweeted a paper published in Surfaces and Interfaces, which included the phrase "Certainly, here is a possible introduction for your topic:" at the top of the paper's introduction.
Emanuel Maiberg, 404Media
There's nothing new about questionable papers finding their way into seemingly sound academic journals. In 2018, a group of authors published a series of ridiculous articles in order to highlight the sorry state of academic integrity in some fields. That "Human Reactions to Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks in Portland, Ore." was published at all, let alone applauded, is distressing (and really entertaining). It seems like peer-reviewed journals are in a worse state now than they were a few years ago. AI–generated content can outpace writers and reviewers, especially if there's enough financial and credential padding to incentivize the rapid creation and publication of hogwash.
Previously: This AI neural network writes college essays better than students
