A new analysis of biomedical research finds that fabricated citations—references that do not correspond to real academic works—are becoming more common in the scientific literature. Reporting across outlets says the issue coincides with the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for writing and editing manuscripts, which may generate “hallucinated” or incorrect citation details. The study analyzed a large set of biomedical references, including verified citations and non-matching entries, and concludes that invalid citations appear at a meaningful rate rather than being isolated errors. While the findings point to AI’s increasing role in generating text that includes citations, the study does not claim that every fabricated citation originates from AI. It frames the problem as one that undermines the reliability of published research by polluting the public record and making it harder for readers to trace claims back to original sources. Overall, the reports describe fabricated citations as a widening concern in research publishing and highlight the need for improved citation checking and verification during manuscript preparation and review.