AI Slop on MDPI journals
Hi folks, I was looking for articles about epigenetic regulations in plants and encountered this marvelous masterpiece. How the heck did anyone not notice that this is an AI slop figure. I mean, I understand that MDPI is not considered a serious publisher but this is pure bullcrap. Also, the journal seems to allow AI generation only upon disclosure, that I can't see here
IMPORTANT EDIT: AI gen is not even the main concern anymore:
I compared this paper with Kaya, Uğurlar, and Adamakis, Epigenetic Modifications of Hormonal Signaling Pathways in Plant Drought Response and Tolerance for Sustainable Food Security (International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2024, 25, 8229; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25158229) and found a repeated reproduction of entire sequences of bibliographic references. References [1–5] of the 2024 review reappear identically at [1–5] in the 2026 article. References [6–14] reappear in the same order at [7–15], following the insertion of an additional self-citation. Seven consecutive references [28–34] correspond to [34–40], while references [37–41] reappear consecutively at [58–62]. All seventeen references [66–82] from the earlier review are also present in the 2026 article, redistributed within references [98–118].