Zombie stats: where AI-quoted numbers come from
The gist
Researchers traced 1,285 statistics quoted by five AI assistants; only about 40% reached a matching study.
The finding questions how far numbers repeated by chatbots can be trusted.
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026Trakkr publishes its "zombie stats" research, tracing statistics cited by AI assistants, with samples drawn at random per assistant.
- Oct 29, 2026Coverage reports researchers traced 1,285 statistics across 200 number-based questions, following each citation up to five pages deep.
- Oct 29, 2026Coverage reports only about 40% of cited statistics trace back to a study that says the same thing; 8% led to a study whose number or context had changed, 40% dead-ended at an inaccessible source and 11% led nowhere.