AI-Generated 'Evidence' Used to Support $20 Million Gambling Education Bid
Independent ACT Senator David Pocock has expressed deep concern over what appears to be AI-generated "slop" being used to support a substantial $20 million funding request for gambling education programs. The controversial evidence review was circulated by the University of Sydney-based OurFutures Institute to at least ten politicians and officials as part of their budget submission.
Questionable Evidence and Missing Studies
An analysis conducted by Guardian Australia has revealed significant problems with the "Youth Gambling in Australia Evidence Review" document. The investigation found at least twenty-one references where:
- Reference links were completely broken or non-functional
- Cited papers appear to not exist at all in academic literature
- Hyperlinked documents differed substantially from the papers referenced
- Statements presented as factual findings were not supported by the research cited
One particularly concerning example involves a claim about the Productivity Commission's gambling inquiry. The review states that "Every $1 invested in school-based prevention returns $8–10 through avoided costs in healthcare, welfare, and justice." However, this assertion cannot be found in the actual commission report, which instead expresses reservations about school-based gambling education programs.
Senator's Strong Response and Industry Concerns
Senator Pocock confirmed that his office has formally written to the OurFutures Institute demanding an explanation for these discrepancies. "I am deeply concerned about this $20m request for public funding and the evidence review it is based on, which appears to just be slop written by AI," Pocock stated.
He elaborated further: "From my preliminary assessment, the review is full of AI hallucinations, including references to studies that don't exist and statements presented as fact that are completely false or grossly exaggerated."
The senator highlighted particular concern about claims regarding return on investment for school-based programs, noting that the Productivity Commission actually found such programs are typically promoted by the gambling industry and could potentially worsen outcomes.
Institute's Response and Ongoing Controversy
Ken Wallace, Chief Executive of the OurFutures Institute, attributed the errors to an "editing tool" used to reorganise references. "Yesterday, we were informed this resulted in some mismatched, merged or incorrectly formatted citations," Wallace explained. "As a team that strongly upholds evidence-based approaches, we deeply apologise for this genuine error."
The institute has committed to correcting the document and conducting a comprehensive line-by-line verification of all remaining references. However, Wallace did not address how direct quotes cited in the review appear to be non-existent or how papers that don't exist were attributed to known researchers.
Undisclosed Industry Connections
Further examination reveals that the budget submission fails to disclose that Professor Sally Gainsbury, listed as a program leader, receives direct and indirect funding from multiple gambling industry entities including:
- Entain Australia
- Sportsbet
- Star Entertainment
- The European Lotteries Association
When questioned about this omission, Wallace maintained that "neither the design nor the delivery of the proposed program involves gambling-industry funding, influence, or partnership."
Academic Verification and Calls for Action
Professor Samantha Thomas of Deakin University, whose name appears in the review, confirmed that two papers attributed to her do not exist. "We owe it to the children of Australia to ensure that we are basing gambling policy decisions on the best available independent evidence," Thomas emphasised. "That evidence shows we need a complete ban on gambling ads."
Public health researcher Dr Hannah Pitt, who has conducted extensive work with young Australians about gambling, reinforced this position: "The evidence is clear that young people want greater regulations on this issue, and they have called for government action to do that."
Senator Pocock has called for the government to prioritise banning gambling advertisements that impact children, noting that three years have passed since a multipartisan report on gambling reform was submitted without government response or action.
