EY Canada published a cybersecurity report and most citations were hallucinated
gptzero.me
May 30, 2026
7 min read
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63/100
Summary
GPTZero's engineer coined the term "vibe citing" to describe the generation of fake references due to LLM hallucinations. The 2025 Ernst & Young report titled "Points of Attack: Uncovering Cyber Threats and Fraud in Loyalty Systems" has been identified as utilizing this phenomenon.
Key Takeaways
- Ernst & Young's 2025 report titled "Points of Attack: Uncovering Cyber Threats and Fraud in Loyalty Systems" contains numerous fake citations, misattributions, and AI-generated text.
- The report lacks traditional footnotes and uses a resource table with mostly broken or non-existent URLs, undermining its credibility.
- GPTZero has developed a Hallucination Check tool to identify and investigate vibe citations in public reports, revealing a widespread issue among major consulting firms.
- The prevalence of vibe citing is contributing to a decline in research quality and public trust in the findings of consulting reports.
Coverage & discussions
Hacker News · gptzero.me
Community discussions
Hacker News discussion ↗
Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample
Analysis ready
Community Sentiment
Positives
- The discussion highlights the need for knowledgeable vetting of AI outputs, emphasizing the importance of human expertise in ensuring quality and reliability in AI-generated content.
- Some commenters recognize the potential for AI to streamline processes, although they acknowledge the current challenges in implementation and oversight.
Concerns
- The reliance on AI for generating reports without proper vetting has led to significant quality issues, undermining trust in AI applications in professional settings.
- Many professionals express frustration that vetting AI outputs often takes longer than traditional methods, indicating that AI may not be delivering on its promise of efficiency.
- The perception that major firms like EY are using AI irresponsibly raises concerns about the integrity and value of their services, potentially damaging their reputation.
