Newfoundland education report contains 15+ AI-generated fake citations
Newfoundland and Labrador's 10-year education reform report reportedly contains at least 15 fake citations suspected to have been generated by AI, including a nonexistent 2008 film. The discovery undermines the credibility of a document that ironically recommends teaching AI ethics and responsible technology use.
What happened
The Education Accord NL final report, a 10-year roadmap for improving Newfoundland and Labrador's public schools and post-secondary institutions released in August 2025, contains at least 15 citations for non-existent journal articles and documents.
One citation references a 2008 National Film Board movie called Schoolyard Games that does not exist; the exact citation appears in a University of Victoria style guide that explicitly lists fictitious references as templates. Educators suspect generative AI was used to fabricate these citations.
Reported impact
Memorial political science professor Sarah Martin said the fabricated citations undermine the credibility of the policy document. Josh Lepawsky, former president of the Memorial University Faculty Association, stated that made-up citations demolish the trustworthiness of the material.
Index analysis
The report contains 110 recommendations, including one specifically calling for the provincial government to provide learners and educators with essential AI knowledge, including ethics, data privacy, and responsible technology use.
Governance controls
When contacted by CBC, co-chair Karen Goodnough declined to comment, writing in an email that the team is investigating and checking references. Lepawsky previously resigned from the report's advisory board in January, citing a deeply flawed process and top-down recommendations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.