Concerns Over ‘AI Flaws’ Utilized by Sydney University Institute to Advocate for $20 Million in Gambling Education Funding

Independent senator David Pocock has expressed grave concerns regarding a report disseminated to numerous politicians. This report, prepared by the OurFutures Institute at the University of Sydney, was intended to back a $20 million funding request aimed at gambling education. Pocock described the report, titled Youth Gambling in Australia Evidence Review, as appearing to be “slop written by AI.”

Pocock was one of ten politicians and officials who received this review. It served as foundational material for the institute’s budget submission, which seeks funding to implement a gambling prevention education program tailored for individuals aged between 15 and 20 years.

The director of the OurFutures Institute attributed the numerous errors in the document to a reference “editing tool,” asserting that the claims made within the paper are indeed evidence-based and valid.

Upon examination by Guardian Australia, the review was found to include at least 21 broken references or citations for papers that do not exist, as well as instances where statements made were not substantiated by the referred documents.

One instance highlighted by the review claims that a Productivity Commission inquiry into gambling observed: “For every $1 invested in school-based prevention, a return of $8–10 can be expected through reductions in healthcare, welfare, and legal system costs.”

However, this assertion was not found in the Productivity Commission’s report, which expresses skepticism regarding the benefits of school-based gambling education, stating that such programs have often been promoted by the gambling industry and are beginning to gain traction in various state and territory curriculums.

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Senator Pocock confirmed he has indeed received the review and mentioned that his office has contacted the OurFutures Institute, seeking clarification regarding the concerns expressed.

“I am deeply skeptical about the $20 million request for public funding based on this review, which seems to be insubstantial, potentially generated by AI,” Pocock remarked.

“My preliminary evaluation indicates that the review is rife with inaccuracies, including references to non-existent studies and claims presented as facts that are significantly misguided or grossly overstated.”

He specifically emphasized his hesitations regarding the assertion about the return on investment for school-based gambling harm prevention programs, asserting that the commission had found these initiatives typically supported by the gambling industry can sometimes aggravate the situation.

Pocock proposed that the government should take corrective action by prohibiting gambling advertisements that have the potential to influence children.

“Three years have passed since the late Peta Murphy MP submitted her multipartisan-supported report regarding gambling reform to the government, and there has been no response, let alone action to ban gambling advertising,” Pocock stated.

Institute claims ‘genuine error’

The OurFutures evidence review claims that “multiple domains—such as alcohol, tobacco, and vaping—demonstrate that school-based prevention programs are among the most effective means of mitigating risky behavior.”

Nevertheless, the reference linked to this statement led to a broken link.

Guardian Australia discovered the paper that OurFutures seems to be citing, but it does not support the assertion regarding school-based programs. In fact, the study indicates that previous research supporting school-based gambling education often suffered from “methodological inadequacies.”

In its budget submission, OurFutures asserts that any gambling education program developed will be “overseen by prominent figures in their respective fields with extensive experience in educational program implementation,” including Prof Sally Gainsbury, a director at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Institute.

The submission fails to disclose that Gainsbury receives funding from the gambling industry, including notable entities like Entain Australia, Sportsbet, and the European Lotteries Association.

Guardian Australia reached out to one of the researchers listed in the evidence review, Samantha Thomas, a professor of public health at Deakin University recognized for her research on gambling advertising and its effects on children.

Two papers attributed to her in the review, however, are ones she claimed to have “not authored and [which] do not seem to exist.”

“We owe it to the children of Australia to ensure our gambling policies are guided by the best available independent evidence,” emphasized Thomas. “The evidence strongly suggests a complete ban on gambling advertisements.”

Ken Wallace, the chief executive of the OurFutures Institute, defended the rationale behind the submission, asserting its claims and policy foundations “remain evidenced and sound.”

When interrogated about the discrepancies in the paper, Wallace stated, “We applied an editing tool solely to arrange references sourced by our research team.”

“Allegations of mismatched, merged, or otherwise incorrectly formatted citations have reached us, and we sincerely apologize for what we recognize as a genuine error.”

He also mentioned that the institute intends to distribute corrected versions to all individuals who received the initial documentation, along with a “thorough verification of all referenced works for peace of mind, as quickly as possible.”

“We are simultaneously updating the budget submission to amend the reference section.”

However, Wallace did not adequately clarify how direct quotes referenced do not seem to exist, nor did he provide insight into why fictitious papers have been attributed to recognized researchers. Moreover, he failed to address the discrepancies presented in literature that provided opposing conclusions.

When questioned regarding Gainsbury’s industry funding and its omission from disclosures, Wallace asserted: “Neither the design nor implementation of the proposed program involves funding, influence, or partnership from the gambling industry; safeguarding autonomy is a principle we uphold.”

Dr. Hannah Pitt, a public health researcher who, in collaboration with Thomas, has engaged with thousands of young Australians and their families regarding gambling, stated that children and teenagers primarily desire a ban or stringent regulation of gambling advertisements.

“The evidence indicates that young people advocate for stricter regulations on this issue, and they are urging the government to take decisive action,” Pitt expressed.

In Australia, Gambling Help Online is available at 1800 858 858. You can reach the National Debt Helpline at 1800 007 007.