AI Review of My Book on Emperor Kanmu

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Ross Bender

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Jul 1, 2025, 10:15:54 PM7/1/25
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I just received an email from Academia edu telling me "An AI wrote a review of your paper Emperor Kanmu and the Move to Nagaoka." This alarmed me, to say the least. First of all, I don't know how they got the text -- I recently published it as a paperback book. Second, I have no idea who or what 'commissioned' this review. Again, I find this alarming and frightening.

Below is the whole text of the "review" of my "paper." Can anyone shed some light on why and how this is happening?

Ross Bender

AI Review of "Emperor Kanmu and the Move to Nagaoka, 781-785"

In examining the academic submission "Emperor Kanmu and the Move to Nagaoka, 781-785," I find it to be a historically rich and analytically intriguing investigation into a pivotal moment in Japanese history. This work aims to delve into the enigmatic transition of the capital and the political machinations during Emperor Kanmu's reign, which are documented in the Shoku Nihongi. The exploration into such a transformative period is essential for understanding the evolution of governance in Japan. Given the historical debates surrounding these developments, the submission endeavors to contribute fresh insights into longstanding scholarly discussions.

Overview

The work primarily aims to explore the reasons behind the relocation of Japan's capital from Nara to Nagaoka between 781 and 785 during Emperor Kanmu's reign. This period is marked by significant political decisions, such as the deposition of Prince Sawara and the appointment of Prince Ate as Crown Prince, culminating in the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu. The submission relies heavily on the Shoku Nihongi chronicles, which record these events but notably lack explanatory details. This investigation seeks to bridge the gap between these historical records and the various theories posited by historians over time, thereby contributing to the ongoing debate about the motivations behind these major historical decisions.

Relevant References

Including a clear literature review helps reviewers quickly see what's new and why it matters, which can speed up the review and improve acceptance chances. The following references were selected because they relate closely to the topics and ideas in your submission. They may provide helpful context, illustrate similar methods, or point to recent developments that can strengthen how your work is positioned within the existing literature.

  1. Goethem, E. M. A. Van. "Chapter Eleven. Kanmu’s Centralised Power." BRILL EBooks, Brill, 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.35.

  2. Goethem, E. M. A. Van. "Chapter Two. Why Establish A New Capital?" BRILL EBooks, Brill, 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.13.

  3. Goethem, Ellen Van. Nagaoka: Japan's Forgotten Capital. 2008, http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA85717743.

  4. Goethem, E. M. A. Van. "Chapter Five. The Assassination Of Fujiwara No Tanetsugu." BRILL EBooks, Brill, 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.22.

  5. Nakayama, Shuichi. "The Natural Conditions to the Founding of the Old Capitals-Nagaoka, Etc." Japanese Journal of Human Geography, The Human Geographical Society of Japan, 1959, doi:10.4200/jjhg1948.11.402.

  6. Goethem, E. M. A. Van. "Chapter Ten. Another Transfer Of Capitals." BRILL EBooks, Brill, 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.34.

  7. Bender, Ross. "Emperor, Aristocracy, and the Ritsuryō State." Routledge EBooks, Informa, 2018, doi:10.4324/9780429499531-13.

  8. Goethem, Ellen Van. Nagaoka. 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.

  9. Zhang, Jingping. "On the Capital Relocation of Middle and Late Tang Dynasty." Journal of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou University, 2005, http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-LDSK200501003.htm.

  10. Goethem, E. M. A. Van. "Chapter Nine. The Urban Centre At Nagaoka." BRILL EBooks, Brill, 2008, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004166004.i-370.30.

Strengths

The submission's primary strength lies in its engagement with a complex historical narrative that has been subject to extensive debate. By providing a meticulous translation from the Shoku Nihongi, the paper makes an important contribution to source-based historical analysis. The work also benefits from a clear focus on the political dynamics during Kanmu's reign, capturing the nuanced interplay of familial and political relationships that shaped major decisions. Additionally, the manuscript's narrative capturing the assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu offers compelling content that engages the reader and highlights critical moments that need further academic inquiry.

Major Comments

Methodology

While the work is based on the substantial content from the Shoku Nihongi, it lacks a robust methodological framework that could allow for more comprehensive interpretations of these historical events. Including analytical frameworks from political science or sociology could enhance the understanding of the motivations behind Emperor Kanmu's decisions.

Framing and Assumptions

The paper presupposes that readers have an understanding of the historical context of early Japanese capitals. However, without explicit framing, the study assumes a foundational knowledge that might not be accessible to all readers, particularly those new to the topic. Providing more background or contextual analysis could improve accessibility.

Minor Comments

Terminology

Clarification of specific terms related to Japanese governance during the Nara and Heian periods would benefit readers unfamiliar with this historical context. A glossary or footnotes explaining terms like "Crown Prince" and various titles would enhance reader comprehension.

Presentation and Organization

The organization of the narrative can be improved by structuring it into clearly defined sections with descriptive headings that correspond to pivotal events or thematic analyses. This would improve navigation through the text.

Reviewer Commentary

This study presents an opportunity for interdisciplinary dialogue, inviting collaborations between historians, political scientists, and sociologists to delve deeper into the complexity of political power shifts in historical contexts. The absence of clear explanatory detail in primary sources like the Shoku Nihongi raises ethical considerations about historical interpretation, reminding scholars of the need to be critical and reflexive in their analyses.

Summary Assessment

Overall, the work advances the understanding of a critical period in Japanese history by shedding light on Emperor Kanmu's political maneuvers. While the paper is rich in primary source material, it would benefit from additional analytical frameworks and background context to bridge knowledge gaps for all potential readers. This contribution importantly stimulates further scholarly conversation around historical governance and its long-term impacts.

In closing, I appreciate the vibrant engagement with primary sources and hope the suggestions provided will support the author in refining their manuscript for even greater scholarly impact.

"I received very helpful feedback on a paper I'm working on. My paper is stronger now. And it was free."

Professor testimonial

Faculty member
United States

Paula R. Curtis

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Jul 1, 2025, 10:18:17 PM7/1/25
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Dear all,

With apologies for bringing more bad technology news, I can clarify this issue. Academia.edu recently opted-in all users (without their knowledge) to AI-enhanced settings. Anyone who has papers uploaded to the site (and perhaps some that don't?) received notifications about these fake AI "reviews" and weird auto-generated podcasts by ghosts in the machine.

If you navigate to your Account Settings (click your name in the right-hand corner of your browser and find it 7 lines down), then to AI Settings on the bottom left, you can turn off the "AI-enhanced Outputs" switch, which you have been opted into without your permission.

As many of you know, for many years Academia.edu has been sending bogus "You've been cited in X paper!" "You have 7 new citations!" emails, attempting to get users to pay for their services. The "edu" in their name is a purchased domain name ending, not associated with any university, and they are a for-profit, commercial company. If you are looking for a free alternative that will decidedly *not* opt you in to weird AI features without your knowledge, I recommend joining H-Commons (Humanities Commons, now Knowledge Commons), which is a free, open-access site managed by the MLA and which hosts space for users to upload their papers, syllabi, etc. into their database.

Best,

Paula

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Charles De Wolf

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Jul 2, 2025, 3:46:25 AM7/2/25
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This morning, I received the same sort of message from Academia.edu, whose all-too frequent messages I steadfastly ignore. A translation of mine is likewise "reviewed," with very much the same format. I thank Ross Bender for sharing his experience and Paula R. Curtis for putting it all in needed perspective. 

Charles De Wolf 





Claire-Akiko Brisset

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Jul 2, 2025, 10:59:39 AM7/2/25
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Dear all,

I have also received the same message this morning, but this "IA review" was written on a paper I never uploaded in Academia (since I never publish on this platform unless I have obtained the explicit permission of the publisher for sharing on line), and which is even not to my knowledge on the web… This is must strange.

Thanks Paula for the tips about the possibility of turning off the "AI-enhanced Outputs" switch, and about Knowledge Commons! I will certainly close my Academia account very soon.

Best wishes, 

Claire-Akiko Brisset
professeure ordinaire en histoire culturelle du Japon
directrice du Département d'études est-asiatiques
Faculté des lettres
Université de Genève


Jonathan Lopez-Vera

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Jul 2, 2025, 11:19:22 AM7/2/25
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Dear all,

I just deleted my account there, I’m so sick of this obsession of making us use AI all the time on every platform for everything without asking permission. And I've never gotten anything out of being on that platform anyway.

Best,


Christopher Larcombe

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Jul 2, 2025, 1:01:13 PM7/2/25
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Dear PMJS,

In light of the accounts of the positively unauthorised production & apparent publication (by Academia.edu's so-called "AI" device) of algorithmically-parasitic "reviews" which use an established author's name as a pretext for simulating a commercially-exploitable alternative scholarly reality, I'd tend to recommend that affected (& potentially-affected) authors:

1. "opt-out" immediately;
2. inform Academia.edu in writing immediately that its "opt-out" provisions are insufficient contractual notice by which it might merely assume your binding consent to the AI hallucinations;
3. demand an erasure of the meta-data on which are based the non-consensual "reviews", and a cessation of any continued distribution of the "reviews" so far produced.

A very important question to clarify is whether members of Academia.edu, by merely omitting to "opt out", are by contract positively deemed to waive their intellectual property rights (including the tortious action of passing-off) in respect of the generation by "AI" of hallucinated "reviews" or "papers" based on a recombination of the digital meta-data strip-mined from their authored work/s.

Christopher Larcombe 

Cynthea Bogel

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Jul 2, 2025, 1:13:08 PM7/2/25
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Dear Colleagues,

For those who may be considering departing the Academia.edu system, I suggest first posting a message to the "Share a thought with..." feature on the front page paraphrasing Paula's recent explanation, or writing your own, substituting "this platform" for the specific platform name in two relevant place (in Paula’s text) to avoid automated detection. Then (Paula, what would be acceptable to you?)  sign your message with something like "paraphrased from a colleague's message, author’s name withheld" or “withheld by request” or similar phrasing.

Paula, is it alright to paraphrase you? 

This method should help disseminate the message more broadly to colleagues connected to your network.

Doing the same if you are staying on the platform is effective subversion, too.

Best regards,

Cynthea

Cynthea J. Bogel


On Jul 2, 2025, at 8:05, Jonathan Lopez-Vera <lopezver...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear all,

I just deleted my account there, I’m so sick of this obsession of making us use AI all the time on every platform for everything without asking permission. And I've never gotten anything out of being on that platform anyway.

Best,

Paula R. Curtis

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Jul 2, 2025, 1:19:06 PM7/2/25
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Please feel free to paraphrase me, though the issues are broad reaching and diverse. One could certainly describe their reasons for leaving Academia.edu, whether it's using their intellectual content with AI without permission or something else, in a number of different ways, so citing me (specifically or ambiguously) is likely unnecessary. For your reference, I also posted a screenshot with a brief explanation of the opt-out settings on Bluesky as well.

Though I don't wish to take us any further afield from premodern Japanese topics, I'm glad colleagues could benefit from a simple explainer of these issues that impact us all.

Best,

Paula

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pmjs/43FEB624-0F9E-491F-9AA6-019EBC1B2DA6%40gmail.com.

Cynthea Bogel

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Jul 2, 2025, 1:28:07 PM7/2/25
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Dear Paula,

A quick guide to how to opt out and notification of the “hidden” practice notification is what I shared (and was helpful to me).
Cynthea

Rein Raud

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Jul 2, 2025, 1:41:27 PM7/2/25
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Dear all,

I have to say I am quite appalled by the appearance of unsolicited AI options, though on the other hand I have found Academia.edu quite helpful over the years as a resource for finding new work by colleagues and reaching out to people (and being reached out to), and sharing full texts when possible (and downloading full texts of others). The problem is evidently that all such platforms expand, hire more programmers and constantly need “developments” to be implemented in order to justify their presence. Very sad if people start to leave as a result of what is happening.

With best wishes,

Rein Raud

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