Send the arXiv AI-generated slop, get a yearlong vacation from submissions
Source: Ars Technica
Now, it appears that a number of scientific fields will be enforcing rules against AI-generated problems even before peer review or journals get involved. One of the people involved in the physics and astronomy preprint server arXiv used a social media thread to announce that any inappropriate AI-produced content submitted to the server will result in a one-year ban and a permanent requirement that future publications undergo peer review before the arXiv will host them.
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In a thread on X (also screenshotted on Bluesky, for those without X accounts), Dietterich described the new policy as arising directly from the arXiv’s moderation standards. “Submissions to arXiv must comply with appropriate standards of scholarly communication in form, including appropriate and carefully prepared sections, figures, tables, references, etc.,” those standards read. “General scrupulousness and care of preparation are required.”
Dietterich also notes that all authors of a manuscript are responsible for its content. So, if they carelessly submit material generated by an AI that violates these guidelines—Dietterich cites “inappropriate language, plagiarized content, biased content, errors, mistakes, incorrect references, or misleading content”—then they’re responsible, not the AI. Should violations be discovered, all of the manuscript’s listed authors will now receive a one-year submission ban, and any future manuscripts will only be accepted after they’ve been through peer review by a journal.
For fields that rely heavily on the arXiv, those are severe sanctions. Posting preprints in areas like astrophysics is widely considered part of the normal publication process, and scientists will often get feedback on preprints that helps them improve what they submit for peer review. The unfortunate problem is that, like most other things, the system can be gamed—people could submit flawed content that lists people as authors who have never been involved. Fortunately, its moderation system includes an appeal process.
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Read more: https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/preprint-server-arxiv-will-ban-submitters-of-ai-generated-hallucinations/
Huge news for scientists who want to upload their papers to arXiv, and VERY good news for everyone who doesn't want that platform destroyed by AI slop.
When I first read this, I thought a one-year ban was insufficient, but hopefully it will teach a valuable lesson to those lazy and/or dumb enough to use AI for writing manuscripts.
Anyway, the good people at arXiv are trying to avoid this sort of thing happening:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220836071