ArXiv versus AI slop: will capping preprint submissions work? (www.nature.com)

The preprint server arXiv has implemented a cap limiting submissions to two papers per month per researcher, effective October 1, in response to an overwhelming increase in manuscripts, largely attributed to content generated by artificial intelligence tools. This decision is aimed at alleviating the burden on the site’s 300 volunteer moderators, who face around 1,000 daily submissions, with nearly 4,000 papers currently in the queue. Astrophysicist Steinn Sigurðsson highlights that while some researchers view this regulation as reasonable, further critiques suggest that co-authors could bypass the limit. This new policy reflects broader tensions within the academic community about the surge of so-called “AI slop” — low-quality submissions possibly driven by AI-generated content. While some argue that restricting submissions won't resolve the underlying issue and may simply shift the problem elsewhere, others believe that more stringent measures are necessary to maintain the integrity of academic publishing. Notably, the social sciences repository SocArXiv has also adopted a similar restriction, further indicating a growing trend in preprint servers to manage submission quality amidst the rapid advances in AI-generated research.