EY Pulls Loyalty Program Study After GPTZero Catches AI Fakes
GPTZero researchers found hallucinated content and fabricated footnotes in an EY study on loyalty rewards programs.
EY has yanked a study on loyalty rewards programs after AI detection startup GPTZero flagged it for containing apparent AI hallucinations and entirely fabricated footnotes. The professional services giant quietly withdrew the research once the problems surfaced.
GPTZero researchers identified the telltale signs: made-up citations and AI-generated content that looked authoritative but pointed to sources that simply don't exist. Classic hallucination territory.
The incident adds EY to a growing list of major professional services firms tripped up by generative AI tools. These companies sell expertise and credibility. Publishing research riddled with fake references is about as damaging as it gets.
It's also a win for GPTZero, which has carved out a niche as an AI content detector. Catching a Big Four firm red-handed is a solid proof of concept for the detection business.