Machine Learning Book Pulled for Fabricated Citations

Publisher Confirms Widespread Referencing Errors

Springer Nature has officially retracted a machine learning textbook following reports of numerous citations to nonexistent works. The issues were first highlighted by Retraction Watch, an organization dedicated to tracking scientific misconduct.

Fake References Undermine Reliability

The book, titled Mastering Machine Learning: From Basics to Advanced, has been found to contain a significant number of invented references, a common characteristic of content generated by advanced AI language models. These fabricated citations cast serious doubt on the work’s scholarly integrity.

Publisher’s Investigation Reveals Deeper Issues

A retraction notice from the publisher states that concerns were raised regarding the validity of certain references. An subsequent investigation by the publisher confirmed these issues, noting that they were unable to verify 25 out of 46 references included in the book.

“Following publication concerns were raised regarding the validity of certain references. Upon further investigation, the Publisher was unable to verify the source of 25 out of 46 references in this book.”

— Publisher Statement

The notice further elaborates that the Series Editor and publisher have lost confidence in the book’s dependability. The author has not yet indicated their agreement with the retraction decision.

Digital Footprint Marked for Retraction

The book’s online presence has been updated to reflect its retracted status, with each chapter now clearly labeled as “Retracted Chapter” and the title appended with “Retracted Book.” The cover image also bears a watermark indicating its retracted nature.

Call for Further Identification of AI-Generated Content

In light of these findings, Retraction Watch is soliciting further information from the public. They are asking readers to report any other recently published books suspected of containing fabricated citations. Information can be submitted via a dedicated online form.

The prevalence of AI-generated content in academic publishing is a growing concern. For instance, a 2023 analysis by Google Scholar found that over 100,000 research papers published in 2023 contained AI-generated text, highlighting the need for rigorous verification processes (Nature, 2023).