Sydney academic's AI-written opinion piece retracted by SMH for undisclosed AI use
Consensus Summary
A Sydney Morning Herald opinion piece by Western Sydney University’s Prof Cath Ellis, defending AI in higher education, was retracted after it was revealed she used generative AI to write it without disclosure. Ellis uploaded 40,000 words of her own work into a Copilot LLM to generate drafts, a process her university described as 'sophisticated and appropriate.' The Herald’s editor, Jordan Baker, called the undisclosed AI use 'unacceptable,' citing a policy prohibiting AI-written stories. Ellis’s article responded to Macquarie University academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s criticism of universities enabling AI-driven 'fraud.' While both sources agree on the retraction and AI use, they differ on whether the university knew of the policy breach. The incident highlights growing tensions over AI transparency in journalism and academia, with experts noting Australian media outlets are still navigating ethical guidelines for AI-assisted writing.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Western Sydney University’s pro vice-chancellor for quality and integrity, Prof Cath Ellis, wrote an opinion piece published in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 2026 (exact date not specified but referenced as 'last month' in both articles).
- The Sydney Morning Herald removed Ellis’s opinion piece after discovering it was AI-generated without disclosure, with editor Jordan Baker calling the omission 'unacceptable'.
- Ellis used a Copilot Large Language Model (LLM) by uploading 40,000 words of her own original materials to generate drafts for the article.
- Nine’s editorial policy allows AI for research/prompt ideas but prohibits AI from writing stories for publication, requiring disclosure if AI-generated material is published.
- Ellis’s article was a response to Macquarie University academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s earlier opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald, which criticized universities for 'widespread, industrial-scale fraud' related to AI.
- Western Sydney University described Ellis’s AI use as 'sophisticated and appropriate,' stating it reflected her own thinking and expertise.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Professor Monica Attard (UTS) suggested Ellis could have declared AI use to strengthen her argument about AI’s validity in education.
- Attard noted Australian newsrooms are at an 'experimental stage' with AI workflows, unlike Scandinavia where AI use is more regulated.
- The ABC mentions a specific quote from Ellis’s retracted article: 'The sector is not standing still. It is in the middle of a significant transformation.'
- The Guardian notes that Ellis’s article was submitted to AI-detector service Pangram, which flagged it as AI-generated.
- The Guardian includes a timeline of recent AI-related scandals in media, such as Crikey removing articles in March 2026 and a freelance journalist’s NYT book review controversy.
- The Guardian specifies that Ellis’s article did not declare AI use as of June 3, 2026, despite Nine’s policy allowing undeclared 'assistive AI'.
- The Guardian mentions student backlash against AI-praising graduation speakers, linking to broader concerns about AI replacing graduate jobs.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Ellis’s article was published 'last month' (May 2026) and removed on June 3, 2026, while the ABC does not specify the exact publication date but refers to it as Sunday’s column (implied June 2, 2026).
- The Guardian implies Western Sydney University was aware of the AI use but did not disclose it to the Herald, while the ABC states WSU was 'not aware' Ellis’s conduct breached the Herald’s guidelines.
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