Deloitte, the global consulting firm, is under scrutiny after a $1.6 million healthcare report it prepared for the Newfoundland and Labrador government was found to contain questionable references.
The 526-page Health Human Resources Plan, released in May 2025, was meant to guide government policy on healthcare staffing, virtual care, retention, and the pandemic’s impact on workers.
Investigations revealed multiple citations that appear to be fabricated, including references to academic papers that don’t exist. Some real researchers were incorrectly credited, and in some cases, fictitious co-authors were listed. One researcher, Gail Tomblin Murphy, called the mention of her work “false” and possibly AI-generated.
The provincial Department of Health has asked Deloitte to review and confirm all citations. Deloitte responded that while some citation corrections are needed, the overall recommendations and conclusions remain valid.
This is not the first time Deloitte has faced such issues. Earlier reports for other governments were also found to have fabricated references, raising concerns about relying on AI for research without proper human checks.