Reports published by PwC contained fake references.

A recent investigation by GPTZero, an AI detector, revealed that one of the four PwC Middle East reports published between 2024–2026 contains a significant amount of fake references. The report titled “Transforming Governance” has 84% AI-generated content as measured by GPTZero. For example, it mentions that the governments of Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the US, and Australia are using PwC’s “Citizen Pulse” product, but there is no evidence for these statements.

1What Is 'Vibe Citing'?

GPTZero introduced a new term called “vibe citing” which refers to the phenomenon where an AI model adds plausible yet false references. In other words, the references are fake because the titles are incorrect, the URLs do not exist, and the authors are fictional. Although the references exist, they do not support any of the statements. PwC stated that they will revise “a limited number of supporting citations,” but they did not explain how this could happen.

2A Systemic Problem Across the Entire Big Four

This is not the only case of fake references. GPTZero also detected fake references in KPMG, Deloitte, and EY reports. Consulting firms have been using AI models to produce reports for their clients without double-checking the sources. While one mistake from a consulting firm might be an isolated case, it seems like the entire industry needs to establish better procedures to check AI-generated content.

This discovery is significant because it represents a tangible change in the market. Now, we know that we cannot rely on corporate research simply because it is produced by a well-known company. Fake information is especially dangerous when it is presented professionally because it appears more believable than hallucinations.