AI failures · Fabricated content

University of Hong Kong: associate dean steps down after AI-fabricated references found in retracted paper

Verified Checked against its sources on October 16, 2026 2 sources quoted

Where it happened: Hong Kong
Organization: University of Hong Kong; China Population and Development Studies (Springer Nature)
Date: December 17, 2025
Function: Academic
Where it happened: Academic research; reference compilation
System: AI research tool (unspecified)
Technology: Generative AI
Type of failure: Fabricated content
Caught by: The public

Summary

A paper on four decades of fertility change in Hong Kong, first-authored by an HKU doctoral student with Professor Paul Yip as corresponding author, was found to cite non-existent publications generated by AI; the AI use had not been declared. Suspicions were first raised publicly on Threads in early November 2025. The publisher, Springer Nature, said it could not verify at least 24 references and the journal's editor retracted the paper. On December 17, 2025, HKU announced that Yip had stepped down as associate dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and from research-related roles, that he had applied to retract the paper, and that the student faced disciplinary proceedings.

Consequence

Paper retracted by the journal's editor-in-chief; publisher could not verify at least 24 references
Corresponding author resigned as associate dean and from research-related roles; doctoral student referred to disciplinary proceedings

Who caught it The publicFound outside the organization

Analysis

What could have been done

Checking AI output against its sources

Every factual element of AI output (citations, figures, quotations) is checked against its source before reliance.

The submitted paper carried references the publisher later could not verify, at least 24 of them, generated with an AI tool.

A named owner and disclosure of AI use

A named person owns the AI-assisted output, and its use is disclosed to those relying on it.

The authors used AI tools without declaring it, so the journal reviewed the paper without knowing its references had been produced with AI.

A review that can actually catch the error

The reviewer has the time, information and expertise to catch the error, not only to sign off.

The paper passed peer review, and suspicions about its references were first raised publicly by a user on Threads.

What would likely have prevented it

Require a co-author other than the person who compiled the references to confirm, before submission, that each cited work exists and supports the statement it is cited for.
Require any AI use in drafting or compiling references to be declared to co-authors and the journal at submission, so reviewers know where to check.

What would likely have caught it earlier

Run every reference list through a lookup against bibliographic databases before submission, and flag any reference that cannot be found for a person to resolve.

Key dates

December 17, 2025Event
October 16, 2026Checked against sources
October 18, 2026Checked against sources
October 21, 2026Checked against sources

Developments are added when the record is reviewed. Next review: October 16, 2027.

Evidence

Each passage is quoted from its source. The quoted passages are re-checked against the live pages every month.

The paper was officially retracted by the journal's editor-in-chief on Monday. "Upon further investigation, the Publisher was unable to verify the source of at least 24 references. The authors admitted the use of AI tools without declaration

Supports: retraction; number of unverifiable references; undeclared AI use (Springer Nature statement)

HKU professor resigns from associate deanship after AI references scandal Hong Kong Free Press Reporting or analysis
The corresponding author, Faculty of Social Science Professor Paul Yip Siu-fai, has resigned as associate dean and from research-related roles and applied to retract the paper from the journal China Population and Development Studies.

Supports: who, outcome for the professor, retraction request

HKU professor steps down after probe finds AI-generated fake references in fertility study The Standard (Hong Kong) Reporting or analysis

Suggested citation. Eminence Scan, “University of Hong Kong: associate dean steps down after AI-fabricated references found in retracted paper”, Eminence Growth Solutions, last verified October 16, 2026, https://eminencegrowthsolutions.com/tools/eminence-scan/record/fail-050/.

Using our research: you may read and quote Eminence Scan with credit to “Eminence Scan, Eminence Growth Solutions” and a link; all other rights reserved. Terms: Using our research.

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