"Controversial AI-Generated Rat Image Sparks Journal Response"

A peer-reviewed science journal published a paper with nonsensical AI-generated images, including a wildly incorrect diagram of a rat penis, raising concerns about the infiltration of generative AI into academia. The paper, titled “Cellular functions of spermatogonial stem cells in relation to JAK/STAT signaling pathway,” featured figures with abundant textual and visual nonsense, credited to the generative AI tool Midjourney. Despite the paper's disclosure of AI use, the publisher's policies were not followed, prompting criticism from scientists and observers. This incident highlights the need for updated standards in academia to address the potential harm to the quality and trustworthiness of scientific papers posed by generative AI.