Wiley adds AI image fraud detection to Research Exchange
The integration brings AI-powered image detection to the more than 25 integrity checks already embedded within Research Exchange, enabling editors and research integrity specialists to identify potentially manipulated or fraudulent images before publication.
According to Wiley, Imagetwin has screened more than 500,000 manuscripts using a database containing over 150 million academic images. The technology is designed to detect issues including image duplication, manipulation, plagiarism, and AI-generated content.
The move follows a pilot programme across multiple Wiley journals, during which the company said Imagetwin identified more than three times as many image integrity issues as human reviewers alone. Wiley said the system flagged manuscripts with concerns that would otherwise have been missed, enabling higher-risk submissions to undergo additional editorial scrutiny prior to publication.
Initially, the technology will be rolled out across disciplines considered most vulnerable to image integrity issues, including life sciences, biomedical research, and materials science, before being expanded more widely across Wiley’s journal portfolio.
“Research integrity is a foundational part of Research Exchange, and we are continuously evolving and investing in this technology as the threat landscape evolves,” said Sam Parker, Wiley’s Director of Integrity Platforms. “AI-generated and manipulated images that are fraudulently passed off as scientific evidence present a serious risk to the credibility of published research. With this integration, we’re giving our editorial teams the tools they need to proactively catch these issues before they reach publication.”
Under the integration, manuscripts submitted to participating journals are automatically analysed by Imagetwin, with potential concerns flagged directly within the Research Exchange interface. Editors and integrity specialists receive reports during key stages of peer review, allowing flagged images to be investigated without altering existing workflows.
“We’re happy to help advance Wiley’s commitment to research integrity. Integrating Imagetwin into their submission workflow means journals can now, with greater precision, catch image plagiarism, manipulation, duplication, and AI-generated content before publication, which protects the scientific record at scale, and that’s what matters today,” said Patrick Starke, Imagetwin Co-Founder & CEO.
Research Exchange is currently used by more than 1,500 journals published by Wiley, its partners, and third-party publishers to manage submissions, peer review, and integrity screening workflows. Wiley said the latest update reflects continued investment in publishing infrastructure combining AI-powered tools with human editorial oversight to support trustworthy scientific publishing.