Deloitte accused once more of using AI-generated citations in $1.6 million report

Deloitte has again come under scrutiny after a Canadian provincial government’s healthcare report, commissioned for nearly $1.6 million, was alleged to contain multiple AI-generated errors, according to fresh reporting. This marks the second instance this year in which the consulting firm has faced accusations of incorporating AI-generated research and citations into official documents.

The allegations were first raised by the Independent, a Canadian news outlet, which reported that the document — authored by Deloitte and later published by the Department of Health and Community Services — includes at least four references that do not exist. The report, commissioned by the previous government, examined virtual care, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers, and offered recommendations on addressing labour shortages and shaping the province’s healthcare human resources strategy.

According to the Independent, Deloitte is accused of inserting false citations allegedly derived from fabricated academic papers. The outlet also reported that the document attributed studies to real researchers who had not authored them, and listed names of researchers who do not exist.

A Deloitte Canada spokesperson told Fortune that the firm “firmly stands behind the recommendations” in the report, adding that Deloitte is revising the document to make “a small number of citation corrections” that do not change the report’s conclusions. The spokesperson stated that AI had not been used to write the report, but was “selectively used to support a small number of research citations.”

Earlier this year, Deloitte Australia agreed to issue a partial refund for a $290,000 report that similarly drew criticism for alleged AI-generated errors. The 237-page document had been published on the Australian government’s Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.