The University of Limerick is currently conducting an investigation to determine how text generated by artificial intelligence ended up being included in a scholarly book authored by one of its senior academics.

Earlier this year, the book titled Advanced Nanovaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy was published by Springer Nature, a German-British academic publishing company. Priced between €100 and €140, the book provided an overview of various cancer vaccines and discussed the potential use of nanovaccines, which are composed of very small particles, to enhance immunity against cancer.

However, shortly after its release in March, American academic John Mark Ockerbloom from the University of Pennsylvania identified a passage in the book that, while discussing the benefits of cancer vaccines over chemotherapy, indicated that the reader was interacting with an AI response and should seek advice from a human.

The author of the book, Dr. Nanasaheb Thorat, has been an associate professor at the University of Limerick's Department of Physics since 2022. Dr. Thorat, who has not yet provided a formal response to requests for comment, is a three-time winner of the prestigious Marie Curie Fellowships and the first Indian recipient of the European Commission's Innovation Radar 'Grand Prix of the Innovation Radar Prize 2020'. With over 100 academic publications to his credit, Dr. Thorat mentioned seeking assistance from colleagues in compiling the book due to his limited technical expertise, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.

Springer Nature, the publisher of the book, has not issued a comment on the matter. However, the book's description on the company's website now indicates that it has been 'retracted'.

A spokesperson for the University of Limerick confirmed that an investigation is ongoing under the institution's protocol for handling allegations of research misconduct. The university remains committed to upholding integrity, transparency, and accountability in all academic and research endeavors.

The emergence of generative AI has raised concerns and challenges in various industries, including academia. In Ireland, secondary schools are preparing for significant changes to the Leaving Cert senior cycle, including the acceptance of AI in project work as long as proper referencing is provided.