New England Journal of Medicine Retracts Paper Because Photo of Patient’s Insides Was Garbled by AI

The New England Journal of Medicine retracted a case report involving an elderly patient with smoke-inhalation-related bronchial casts.

Authors said they used an AI tool to move a ruler in the clinical photo, creating a distorted image with nonsensical scale markings.

The case came from Beijing researchers at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital.

The incident underscores how AI-assisted image editing can damage scientific integrity and trust in medical evidence.