Chairs of major federal parliamentary committees have expressed concern over an increasing volume of artificial intelligence-generated material being submitted to inquiries, cautioning that such content frequently includes false or fabricated information that could influence policy decisions.
Analysis revealed that submissions created using AI are introducing invented studies, attributing nonexistent research to real academics, and in some cases, entire references that appear legitimate but do not actually exist. This phenomenon, known as AI hallucination, occurs when large language models generate content that appears authentic but has no basis in reality. Some committee reports have subsequently cited submissions where the majority of cited sources were AI-generated fabrications.
Liberal senator Paul Scarr emphasized the risks posed by such misinformation, stating that decision-makers relying on false information could reach flawed conclusions. He referenced a previous incident in 2023 when a committee received a submission containing fabricated allegations against consulting firm KPMG, which the firm later disputed. Scarr called for greater scrutiny of submissions, including verification of footnotes and sources.
Labor MP Louise Miller-Frost, chair of the social policy and legal affairs committee, acknowledged that while committees are becoming more aware of the issue, submissions created with AI assistance should not be automatically rejected. She noted that AI tools could help members of the public who lack resources to prepare formal submissions. Miller-Frost indicated that committees would identify problematic submissions if they contained unusual claims, at which point further verification would be necessary.
Senate President Sue Lines stated that responsibility for submission accuracy lies with submitters themselves, and that committee practices would continue evolving as AI adoption becomes more widespread. Senate guidance on inquiry submissions warns participants of risks associated with AI use and emphasizes that accuracy is the submitter’s responsibility. The issue gained prominence after consulting firm Deloitte issued a partial refund to the federal government for a report containing fabricated references and a fake court citation.
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