A government-commissioned report that helped support Australia’s plan to restrict social media access for children under 16 has come under scrutiny after several inaccurate and apparently fabricated academic references were identified. The report, produced as part of a $3.48 million government-funded trial examining age-assurance technologies, was prepared by the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS). The organisation has acknowledged that ChatGPT was used to rewrite parts of the document after initially denying that artificial intelligence had been involved. An analysis of the report found six problematic citations in a chapter examining emerging technologies. Some of the digital object identifiers, or DOIs, reportedly directed readers to research papers that did not exist. Other references contained combinations of authors, journals and publication dates that could not be verified in academic records. In another case, a DOI reportedly led to a genuine research paper, but the paper did not support the claim attributed to it in the report. The controversy intensified after ACCS was questioned about the use of artificial intelligence. A spokesperson initially said no AI had been used in producing the report. The organisation later acknowledged that ChatGPT metadata was present in four links across two sections of the document. ACCS maintained that the metadata effectively disclosed the use of the tool and said the references had been manually checked. However, efforts to correct the disputed citations reportedly resulted in further inconsistencies. One example involved a research paper that an ACCS source said had been accessed in March 2025. According to the paper’s lead author, however, the research was not published until June 2025, raising additional questions about the accuracy of the report’s references. The report has attracted attention because it was used in the policy process surrounding Australia’s planned restrictions on social media for under-16s. Communications Minister Anika Wells had previously praised the report for identifying potential approaches to age verification. The minister’s department told a Senate inquiry that it had discussed the citation problems with ACCS. However, the department was reportedly informed about faulty links rather than allegations that some references had been fabricated. Australian National University academic Christian Downie warned that unreliable references can have serious consequences regardless of whether they were generated by AI or resulted from human error. He said inaccurate citations could contribute to poor policymaking and weaken public confidence in government-commissioned research. Independent Senator Fatima Payman also compared the controversy with a separate case involving Deloitte, which refunded part of a $440,000 government contract after problems were identified with AI-generated references.

Samsung’s latest software update has sparked concern among some Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra users, with numerous reports suggesting that the update has negatively affected battery performance, charging speed, and overall device temperature. Many users have taken to online technology forums and social media platforms to share their experiences, claiming that their smartphones are no longer performing as efficiently as they did before installing the update. According to user reports, one of the most common issues is rapid battery drain. Several Galaxy owners have said their devices now lose power at a much faster rate, even during light or moderate usage. Some users claim that a phone charged to 100% can drop to a significantly lower battery level within only a few hours, despite being used for basic tasks such as messaging, browsing the internet, or checking emails. This unexpected battery consumption has become a major source of frustration for many customers who previously enjoyed reliable battery life. Another frequently reported problem is overheating. Users say their smartphones become unusually warm shortly after the software update, even when the devices are idle. Some owners have mentioned that their phones heat up while simply resting on a table or couch without any demanding applications running. Others have observed increased temperatures during everyday activities such as streaming videos, browsing social media, or using navigation apps. The excessive heat has raised concerns about the long-term impact on battery health and overall device performance. In addition to battery and heating issues, several users have reported slower charging speeds after updating their devices. According to these reports, phones now require more time to reach a full charge than they did before the software installation. Although charging still functions normally, the extended charging time has become another inconvenience for users who depend on fast charging during their daily routines. Technology enthusiasts and community members believe the issue may be linked to background system processes that fail to complete properly after the update. These processes may become trapped in continuous operating loops, forcing the phone’s processor to remain active even when the device is not being used. As a result, the processor consumes more power than usual, leading to faster battery depletion and higher internal temperatures. While Samsung has not yet released an official statement acknowledging the reported issues, users can try several temporary measures to reduce their impact. Reviewing the Battery Usage section in the Settings menu can help identify applications consuming an unusually high amount of power. Closing these apps, clearing their cache, or limiting background activity may improve battery performance. Users may also benefit from temporarily disabling automatic cloud backups if they suspect syncing services are contributing to the problem. Restarting the smartphone can also terminate unnecessary background processes that may have become stuck after the update, potentially improving battery life and reducing overheating. This is not the first time Samsung users have experienced battery-related issues following a major software release. Similar problems have been reported after previous updates, and in many cases, the company later resolved them by releasing follow-up software patches. Until Samsung provides an official fix, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra owners experiencing these problems may need to rely on these temporary troubleshooting methods. Users are also encouraged to keep their devices updated, as future software releases are expected to address the reported battery drain, overheating, and charging performance concerns.