AI-Generated Articles Fraudulently Published Under Researchers' Names in Greek Journal
Generative AI was used over several years to fraudulently author and publish dozens of academic articles in a Greek journal, falsely attributed to researchers at reputable universities including UC Berkeley and Shanghai University. The scheme was discovered when Professor Diomidis Spinellis found an article published under his name that he did not write, leading to an investigation that revealed 48 of 53 studied articles were AI-generated.
What happened
An article titled 'Global Business Strategies in the Digital Age' was published in December 2023 in an academic journal attributed to Diomidis Spinellis, a professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, but it was not written by him.
Upon discovering the fraudulent article, Spinellis conducted an investigation that revealed in late May 2025 systematic use of generative AI over several years to create and publish deceptive academic articles in the journal. Of 53 articles studied, 48 appeared to have been produced by AI (88% to 100% on the Turnitin detection tool).
Many articles were falsely attributed to researchers from reputable universities, including University of California, Berkeley and University of Shanghai. In two cases, people listed as authors had died before the articles were published.
Reported impact
The fraudulent publications deceive organizations that evaluate researchers by inflating publication metrics without assessing the quality or legitimacy of the work.
Index analysis
The use of predatory journals—where authors pay to publish without rigorous review—combined with AI generation and false attribution undermines academic integrity and the credibility of the scientific community.
Governance controls
Spinellis reported evidence that the number of publications produced by generative AI is increasing, suggesting inadequate oversight mechanisms in academic publishing and peer review processes.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.