- Only five of the 45 quotes accurately reflected actual sources.
- Some were completely false, others included “confusing” attributions and titles.
- GPTZero argues that vibration quotes have consequences, and reports spread globally
GPTZero researchers have revealed how major government reports, academic papers and other research are plagued by AI hallucinations, to the point that the company is on its second report exploring the trend.
In the latest embarrassing incident, a KPMG report on agent AI was found to be full of AI-generated errors, false quotes and misleading case studies.
“Of the 45 quotes in the report, only five point accurately to real sources,” the team wrote, adding that many others were completely false or significantly distorted.
AI report full of AI hallucinations
GPTZero used the term “vibe quotes” to refer to fake quotes, where generative AI appeared to have created fake references that looked plausible. The report also included strange mixes of actual references, such as incorrect attributions or paraphrased titles.
“A human being would not constantly paraphrase titles, confuse topics with authors, or repeat information in multiple components,” they added.
Although the researchers present arguments for and against vibrations, they ultimately conclude that it should still be considered a hallucination and that “vibrations have consequences.”
In this case, they argue that KPMG is so influential that its findings are likely to be cited globally, in news reports, blog posts and other conversations, fueling the spread of potential misinformation. They are also concerned that the report will be cited in the LLMs, which will further spread the information.
It follows a similar 2025 report revealing that a study by the US Presidential Commission on Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) also included “confusing or fabricated” footnotes.
“GPTZero maintains that vibration quotes are a clear and present danger to researchers, academics, consultants, students, and anyone else searching for information on the Internet,” the company concludes.
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