MIT is calling for the withdrawal of a widely discussed AI research paper, citing serious doubts about its integrity. The paper, titled “Artificial Intelligence, Scientific Discovery, and Product Innovation,” has come under fire after an internal review raised red flags about its data reliability and research methods.
Originally authored by Aidan Toner-Rodgers, a former doctoral student in MIT’s economics program, the paper claimed that introducing an AI tool into a materials science lab led to an increase in discoveries and patent filings. However, it also suggested the tool reduced researchers’ job satisfaction. Despite not being peer-reviewed or published in a refereed journal, the paper gained early praise from influential economists like Nobel Prize winner Daron Acemoglu and David Autor, both of whom are affiliated with MIT. Autor even told The Wall Street Journal last year that the findings left him “floored.”
But that enthusiasm has since evaporated.
Data Doubts Trigger Review and Institutional Response
The unraveling began when a computer scientist with expertise in materials science raised concerns about the paper’s validity in January. Acemoglu and Autor brought those concerns to MIT leadership, prompting an internal review of the research.
On Friday, MIT issued a statement saying it could no longer support the paper due to a lack of confidence in “the provenance, reliability or validity of the data and in the veracity of the research.” Due to privacy laws, MIT did not disclose the specific findings of its review. However, it did confirm that the student author is “no longer at MIT.”
Although MIT’s public announcement didn’t name Toner-Rodgers directly, both the paper’s preprint and prior press coverage had already identified him. TechCrunch has reached out to him for comment, but no response has been reported.
MIT Calls for Full Retraction, But Author Hasn’t Complied
The paper was previously submitted to The Quarterly Journal of Economics and also uploaded to the preprint server arXiv. MIT says it has formally requested that the paper be retracted from both platforms. However, arXiv rules require withdrawal requests to be made by the authors themselves, and as of now, Toner-Rodgers has not submitted any such request.
This development casts a shadow over one of the most talked-about early studies exploring the link between AI tools and scientific innovation. The situation also serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of unvetted research gaining traction before undergoing thorough peer review.
With the rise of AI in academia and industry, MIT’s move to distance itself from this study is a strong signal about the importance of research transparency, data validity, and institutional accountability.
