Scientists are warning that academic publishing requires urgent reform to maintain trust in research. The system is plagued by fraud, low-quality AI-generated content, and excessive profits, according to a recent podcast featuring Ian Sample and Dr Mark Hanson from the University of Exeter.
The quality of scientific papers is being questioned as academics become overwhelmed by the millions published each year. The podcast highlighted the staggering profitability of scientific publishing and questioned whether it is detrimental to science itself.
Dr Mark Hanson proposed potential solutions to address these issues. The podcast was amended on 2 October 2025 to include information about how AI is being used to identify low-quality papers.
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