In October 2023 KPMG released a white‑paper titled *Total Experience: Redefining Excellence in the Age of Agentic AI* that claimed firms were deploying autonomous AI agents for customer service. The report, meant to guide executives, quickly attracted scrutiny after investigators found numerous fabricated examples and non‑existent technologies. As one of the Big Four firms, KPMG’s analysis often shapes industry standards and client strategies.

GPTZero, creator of an AI‑content detector, audited the paper and reported that only five of the 45 citations linked to genuine sources. Twenty‑eight references paraphrased titles or added fake components, while twelve were too vague to verify. The firm labeled the practice “vibe citing,” warning that such fabricated footnotes can corrupt future research. These findings raise credibility concerns.

The audit also found about half the paper’s assertions false, such as KPMG’s claim that Emirates ran a chatbot able to alter flight bookings and that UBS used agentic AI in advisory and compliance. Both firms rejected the allegations. KPMG pulled the report and announced a review of its publishing practices, underscoring how AI‑generated errors can taint authoritative research.