Education Minister Bernard Davis addressed the presence of incorrect citations in the 10-year plan to enhance education in Newfoundland and Labrador, reassuring that it does not undermine the report’s trustworthiness.
During a media briefing on Friday, Davis stated, “Although any error is regrettable, it did not affect the essence of the report or its recommendations.”
He further added, “I believe this does not diminish the document’s credibility.”
This revelation followed a report by Radio-Canada revealing that the Education Accord NL final report contained approximately 15 references to non-existent academic articles and documents. Educators who verified the erroneous citations suggested the potential involvement of generative artificial intelligence in the report.
According to Davis, about 15 out of the nearly 450 citations in the report were identified as false.
“While this constitutes a small fraction of the total citations, it is crucial that individuals who noticed these inaccuracies brought them to our attention,” he remarked.
Dr. Anne Burke and Dr. Karen Goodnough, the authors of the report, issued a joint statement with CBC News and Radio-Canada. They acknowledged that a “small number of references and corresponding citations [that] were found to be inaccurate” post-publication, and efforts are underway to address and update the report.
The statement emphasized, “The report was collaboratively authored by us as co-chairs, with substantial input from various committees, advisory groups, and the diverse voices of Newfoundland and Labrador. Any insinuation otherwise is incorrect.”
Reacting to the discovery of false sources, NDP Leader Jim Dinn expressed concerns about the potential impact on the 18-month effort put into the report. He raised suspicions about the extent of AI-generated content within the report.
Dinn remarked, “This document is meant to shape the education landscape in Newfoundland and Labrador for the next decade, and now we discover the presence of fabricated sources.”
“I know the report authors. They are dedicated individuals committed to education. However, this revelation significantly undermines their work and the report itself,” he added.
