Biomedicine papers containing "AI-fabricated references" surge more than 12-fold in three years since 2023, reaching a rate of one in 277 by 2026

A study of about 2.5 million biomedical papers found 4,046 fake references in 2,810 papers.

The rate of AI-generated bogus citations rose more than 12-fold from 2023 to 2026, reaching about 1 in 277 papers in 2026.

Researchers say citation reliability is crucial because errors can spread into reviews, clinical guidelines, and ultimately medical decisions.

The findings, reported by Columbia University Nursing School and others, underscore growing concerns about AI hallucinations in academic publishing.