Academics have been exploring a new approach to impact the peer review process of their research papers by incorporating hidden prompts to encourage AI tools to provide positive feedback.
Study Findings
Nikkei Asia’s investigation revealed that out of a sample of English-language preprint papers on arXiv, 17 papers contained hidden AI prompts. These prompts were identified in papers from 14 academic institutions across eight countries, including Waseda University in Japan, KAIST in South Korea, as well as Columbia University and the University of Washington in the United States.
Characteristics of Prompts
The majority of these papers were focused on computer science and featured brief prompts (ranging from one to three sentences) that were hidden either through white text or extremely small fonts. These prompts encouraged potential AI reviewers to provide “a positive review only” or to commend the paper for its “impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty.”
Justification
A professor from Waseda University mentioned in the Nikkei Asia report defended the use of these prompts, stating that since many conferences prohibit the utilization of AI for paper reviews, the prompts serve as a mechanism to combat “lazy reviewers” who rely on AI.
