A report commissioned by the State Government to examine a proposed merger of Western Australia's public universities has come under criticism after numerous errors were discovered, including information apparently generated by artificial intelligence.

The report, prepared by Deloitte at a cost of $166,000, was intended to assist the State Government in considering the proposed merger. However, it was found to contain fabricated academic references, incorrect citations, misleading information and references to publications that did not exist.

Among the problems identified were incorrect quotations, links to unrelated websites and references that could not be verified. Some errors remained in the final version despite the report having undergone a review process.

Deloitte acknowledged that AI had been used to assist with the report and subsequently issued a revised version. The company also agreed to refund part of the fee, although questions remain about how the errors were overlooked before the report was submitted.

The controversy has also raised questions about the State Government's oversight of the work, particularly given the cost to taxpayers and the importance of the proposed university merger.

The incident highlights some of the problems associated with relying on AI-generated information without properly checking its accuracy, particularly when reports are being used to inform government decisions.