AI, academic integrity and the future of research reputation

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Professor of Legal Anthropology at the University of Indonesia’s Faculty of Law, Prof Dr Sulistyowati Irianto, MA, stated in a national media presentation some time ago that the primary tasks of universities, besides producing knowledge, also involve building an academic culture and contributing to the formation of a rational and logical-thinking society. What stands out in her statement is that ignoring universities, evidence-based research and data would have widespread societal impacts. This statement echoes recent social media discussions about allegations of research fabrication by Indonesian participants at the 2026 International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Diseases (ISPPD) conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The research fraud scandal was reportedly exposed by Ida Bagus Mandhara Brasika, a PhD candidate in Mathematical Climate at the University of Exeter. A chronological review of the case reveals serious allegations of research manipulation, including AI-generated data fabrication, identity theft, and physical role-swapping during the 2026 international symposium in Copenhagen. The symposium involving Indonesian researchers is suspected to have been exploited as a shortcut to secure travel grants for those whose abstracts were accepted by organisers. This phenomenon is not merely an academic ethics violation but undermines scientific integrity and damages the credibility of Indonesian research on the global stage. The repercussions extend beyond the perpetrators, tarnishing the nation’s reputation and diminishing Indonesia’s standing in the international community. From a criminal law perspective, research falsification, data manipulation, and identity misuse in international academic forums constitute acts that assault institutional dignity and cause intangible harm to the nation’s reputation. Such actions not only violate academic honesty principles but could also be classified as crimes against government and state institution honour, especially if organised, systematic, and causing widespread damage to public trust and Indonesia’s international standing. Citing Edwin H. Sutherland, the American criminologist who coined ‘white-collar crime’, the alleged actions by Indonesian participants at the 2026 ISPPD conference can be interpreted as white-collar crime. Such crimes are committed not by those lacking capability, but by individuals with strong educational backgrounds, intellectual ability, and social standing. Ironically, intellectual capacity meant to foster honest and dignified academic culture is allegedly misused for pragmatic gains, from seeking academic recognition to securing travel grants. At this point, the issue transcends mere ethical violations, becoming potential legal offences that tarnish Indonesia’s reputation in international academia.