2025/05/30 by Louie Giray · 1 voice
Medicine · #Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
paper · doi:10.1080/15228959.2025.2510922
openalex publication_date 2025/05/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
I challenge the growing trend of citing large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, as academic references. I present four key reasons why this is problematic: LLM-generated content cannot be verified, these models lack scholarly authority, citing them gives a false sense of academic credibility, and they are tools, not sources of knowledge. Normalizing the citation of unverified AI content instead of trusted, peer-reviewed research harms the integrity of academic work. This reliance might also prevent students from developing important research skills, like evaluating sources and engaging with academic work. To address this, I suggest that teachers and librarians intensify their role in guiding students through the integration of AI in academia. They must promote critical AI skills, update academic integrity policies, and give concrete steps toward responsible use of LLMs. The opinions in this commentary are my own and do not represent the views of my academic or professional network/corres/c s.