The crisis in scientific publishing from AI fraud to epistemic justice

The crisis in scientific publishing: from AI fraud to epistemic justice

Reda SadkiGlobal health, Leadership

There is a crisis in scientific publishing. Science is haunted. In early 2024, one major publisher retracted hundreds of scientific papers. Most were not the work of hurried researchers, but of ghosts—digital phantoms generated by artificial intelligence. Featuring nonsensical diagrams and fabricated data, they had sailed through the gates of peer review. This spectre of AI-driven fraud is not only a new technological threat. It is also a symptom of a pre-existing disease. For years, organized networks have profited from inserting fake papers into the scholarly record. It seems that scientific publishing’s peer review process, intended to seek truth, cannot even tell the real from the fake. These failures are not just academic embarrassments. In fields like global health, where knowledge means the difference between life and death, we can no longer afford to ignore them. Indeed, the crisis in scientific journals is not, at its heart, a crisis in …

Chilling effect

Chilling effect

Reda SadkiGlobal health

We reached out to senior decision makers working in global health about the new Certificate peer learning programme for equity in research and practice. Crickets. One CEO wrote: “We aren’t currently in a position to enter into new strategic partnerships on the topic.” The chilling effect is real. Many organizations are retreating from publicly championing equity work—even those with deep commitments to fairness and inclusion. But here’s the opportunity: While public discourse faces headwinds, meaningful work continues through trusted networks and communities of practice. This is precisely when innovation in equity approaches accelerates—away from the spotlight but with profound impact. The evidence is clear: health systems that neglect equity waste resources and deliver poorer outcomes. When research excludes key populations or policies overlook certain communities, we all lose—through inefficiency, increased costs, and diminished impact. This moment calls for courage from those who understand that equity is fundamental to effective health …