Core Insights - The article highlights the alarming scale of the paper ghostwriting industry, with one company reportedly producing 130,000 papers in a year, generating an income of 80 million yuan [1][2] - The rise of AI technology has lowered the barriers to academic fraud, while illegal collaborations between intermediaries and journals have created shortcuts for publishing, turning academic evaluation into a tradable commodity [2][3] Group 1: Industry Overview - The ghostwriting industry has established a complete chain from writing, data fabrication, to publication, with a significant number of papers being churned out in a factory-like manner [1] - The demand for paper ghostwriting is driven by a "publish or perish" mentality in academia, where the quantity of publications is often prioritized over quality [2][3] Group 2: Legal and Regulatory Responses - There is a growing trend of legal actions against academic fraud, with compensation amounts in some cases exceeding one million yuan, indicating a need for further extension of judicial deterrence to the upstream of the industry [3] - A call for a multi-departmental enforcement mechanism to investigate journals that engage in illegal collaborations with intermediaries has been made, with severe penalties proposed for those found guilty [3] Group 3: Recommendations for Reform - To effectively combat the ghostwriting industry, a combination of legal, regulatory, and systemic reforms is necessary, including the introduction of diverse evaluation metrics in academic assessments to reduce the demand for fraudulent publications [3] - Emphasizing academic integrity is crucial for fostering genuine innovation in research, as the current practices not only occupy valuable journal space but also undermine public trust in the academic system [3]