AI-Generated Papers Double Some Journal Submissions, Straining Peer Review
Updated
Updated · The Verge · May 15
AI-Generated Papers Double Some Journal Submissions, Straining Peer Review
6 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 15
Journal editors say AI-written manuscripts have become coherent enough to evade easy screening, pushing submissions sharply higher and forcing far more manual checks before papers can even reach reviewers.
Security Dialogue's submissions are up 100% from a year earlier, Accountability in Research reports a 60% rise, and one editor said a paper with fake citations passed at least 10 editors and two review rounds before being caught.
Researchers tracing the surge found template-driven studies mining public datasets such as Global Burden of Disease and NHANES, while newer agentic tools can analyze data and draft polished papers in 25 minutes 50 seconds.
The flood is hitting a system already short of volunteer reviewers: editors now often send 12 to 20 requests to secure two responses, and a Frontiers survey found more than half of researchers used AI assistance in peer review.
Publishers and integrity groups are shifting from detecting fraud to requiring proof of authenticity, but researchers say the deeper driver is a publish-or-perish system that rewards paper counts, citations, and fee-funded submission growth.
As AI automates 'slop' science, has the 'publish or perish' academic model officially broken?
When AI can fabricate flawless research, how can we ever trust scientific findings again?
If AI can do the research and writing, what is the future role for human scientists?
AI-Driven Surge in Academic Submissions: How Generative Tools Are Overwhelming Peer Review and Threatening Research Integrity
Overview
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has brought major challenges to academic publishing. AI is driving a surge in academic submissions, which puts significant strain on the peer review process. This increased workload has forced journals like Organization Science to expand their editorial teams, doubling the number of senior editors and adding more deputy editors. The expansion highlights how AI is not only increasing the volume of submissions but also impacting the integrity of peer review, making it harder for editors and reviewers to maintain quality standards in academic research.