A high-profile KPMG study was removed amid questions about fabricated AI attribution, raising concerns about verification practices in consulting and research reports.
In June 2026, professional services firm KPMG withdrew a report titled “Rethinking Excellence in the Age of Agent AI” after several organizations said claims about the use of AI were false.
The report, published in October 2025, was criticized after research group GPTZero told the FT that the error was due to hallucinations in the AI.
UBS, the NHS, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Transport for London told the FT that the report’s claims about the use of AI were false or misleading.
A KPMG spokesperson said the report had been removed from the company’s website while an internal investigation was underway.
“We expect all employees to follow guidelines for the responsible use of AI, including human oversight to verify content and verify independent sources.”
– KPMG spokesperson
Last month, EY also withdrew a report on loyalty programs that it said contained bogus links and signs of AI hallucinations.
Industry impact and trust in AI
This story highlights the need for greater transparency and oversight of the use of AI in research activities and public reporting.
Service sector companies and government agencies may reconsider their internal information verification standards, bring in independent experts and tighten fact-checking requirements before releasing material.
In the long term, cases like this could prompt us to be more cautious when applying AI when producing analysis and evaluation reports.
