AI failures · Fabricated content

Deloitte Canada — Fabricated Citations in C$1.6M Newfoundland and Labrador Health Workforce Plan

Verified Checked against its sources on October 16, 2026 4 sources quoted

Where it happened: Canada
Organization: Deloitte Inc. (Canada); Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Date: Plan released May 29, 2025; fabricated citations reported November 22, 2025
Function: Consulting / Government
Where it happened: Health workforce planning; commissioned government report
System: Not disclosed
Technology: Generative AI
Type of failure: Fabricated content
Caught by: A journalist

Summary

Newfoundland and Labrador's Health Human Resources Plan, prepared by Deloitte and released by the province in May 2025 with workforce projections for 21 health occupations over ten years, cost the province about C$1.6 million. In November 2025 The Independent reported at least four citations that do not, or appear not to, exist: researchers named as authors of two cited papers said the papers were false or did not exist, and a third cited journal article could not be found. A Deloitte Canada spokesperson said AI was not used to write the report but was selectively used to support a small number of research citations, and that the report was being revised. In 2026 CPA Newfoundland and Labrador declined to investigate, because the contracting entity, Deloitte Inc., was not a registered accounting firm.

Consequence

CPA Newfoundland and Labrador declined to investigate the complaint against Deloitte over its use of AI in the report.

Who caught it A journalistFound 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.

Deloitte said AI was used to support a small number of research citations, and the plan carried at least four citations that do not, or appear not to, exist; researchers named as authors of two cited papers said the papers were false or did not exist.

Oversight of suppliers' AI use

Suppliers' use of AI is disclosed, contracted for and checked.

The province paid about C$1.6 million for the plan and released it under its health department in May 2025; the citations were found in November 2025 by a local outlet that checked them and contacted the named researchers, not by the client.

What would likely have prevented it

When AI is used to find or support research citations, require a researcher to open each cited source and confirm its authors, title and journal before the deliverable is issued.
Write into consulting contracts that the supplier states where AI was used in a deliverable and confirms that every cited source was checked.

What would likely have caught it earlier

On receiving a commissioned report, have the client check a sample of its citations, including a search for each sampled paper under its named authors, before releasing it publicly.

Key dates

November 22, 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.

Authored by global consulting firm Deloitte and published by the Department of Health and Community Services in May, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Human Resources Plan contains at least four citations which do not, or appear not to, exist.

Supports: Who, what, at least four non-existent citations

The Independent has not been able to confirm the article’s existence as it doesn’t appear in academic search engines or on the Canadian Journal of Respiratory Therapy’s website.

Supports: Third citation could not be located (journal did not confirm non-publication)

Major N.L. healthcare report contains errors likely generated by A.I. The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador) Reporting or analysis
The Provincial Government has released the first phase of a Health Human Resources Plan, which outlines workforce projections for 21 distinct health care occupations over the next 10 years.

Supports: The plan and its scope; release date May 29, 2025

Provincial Government Releases Health Human Resources Plan Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Primary source
Now, the provincial watchdog responsible for oversight of accounting firms says it will not be investigating Deloitte following a complaint about the firm's use of AI in the $1.6-million human resources report it produced for Newfoundland and Labrador's department of health last year.

Supports: C$1.6 million cost; CPA NL declined to investigate

Deloitte used AI in $1.6M government report, but watchdog CPA NL says it can't investigate Canadian Accountant Reporting or analysis
The anonymous spokesperson also said AI “was not used to write the report,” and that it was “selectively used to support a small number of research citations.”

Supports: Deloitte's statement

Deloitte breaks silence on N.L. healthcare report The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador) Reporting or analysis

Suggested citation. Eminence Scan, “Deloitte Canada — Fabricated Citations in C$1.6M Newfoundland and Labrador Health Workforce Plan”, Eminence Growth Solutions, last verified October 16, 2026, https://eminencegrowthsolutions.com/tools/eminence-scan/record/fail-095/.

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.

Spotted an error, or a development we have missed? Report a correction. How we check records: research methodology.