Frontiers Editor Resigns Over AI Reviewer Tool, Citing 2 Unqualified Referees

2 articles · Updated · The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives · Jun 17

Michael Okun quit Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience after saying the publisher’s AIRA system overrode his handling of a manuscript and helped route it to two reviewers he said lacked relevant expertise.
Around a half-dozen reviewer invitations had already gone out from Okun when AIRA sent its own requests; after one expert later accepted Okun’s invitation, the system revoked his other pending invites, which he called a deal-breaker.
Frontiers said editors can pause invitations and retain full discretion over reviewer selection, but acknowledged that was not made clear in Okun’s case and said it is conducting an internal review.
Other editors and researchers described similar mismatches, including unsolicited review requests outside their fields, though some editors said they had not encountered the same problems.
Frontiers said AI has supported reviewer matching since 2018, cutting time to secure reviewers by 30% in the past year; Okun said automation is acceptable only if human editors stay in control or AI-led review is clearly disclosed.

Sources

The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives1d ago

Michael Okun Resigns from Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience Over AI Peer Review Interference

The Scientist1d ago

Automation Concerns Prompt Editor Resignation | The Scientist

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AI in Academic Publishing: Lessons from 122 Retractions and the Okun Resignation at Frontiers

Overview

In June 2026, Associate Editor Michael Okun resigned from Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience after the publisher’s AI system, AIRA, repeatedly interfered with his editorial duties. AIRA systematically overrode Okun’s manual selections of expert reviewers and even invited unqualified referees. When Okun tried to correct these choices, AIRA revoked his efforts, effectively stripping him of editorial authority. Okun publicly criticized AIRA for this overreach, highlighting how unchecked AI can undermine human judgment and editorial integrity. This incident sparked wider concerns about balancing AI efficiency with the essential role of human oversight in academic publishing.

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