AI-generated slides are raising red flags in academic cardiology

Academic cardiologists are increasingly frustrated with AI-generated presentation slides flooding major conferences. From homogeneous fonts and surreal graphics to hallucinated content and conflated guideline recommendations, the telltale signs of AI-generated slides are becoming hard to ignore — and harder to defend. ACC President Roxana Mehran and other prominent cardiologists say they can spot AI-generated slides instantly, and many admit they mentally check out as soon as they do.

The concern isn't just aesthetic. Physicians warn that presenters who don't rigorously verify AI-generated content risk spreading misinformation that could ripple through the scientific community and ultimately affect patient care. Some, like Stanford's Mintu Turakhia, have gone so far as to suggest ditching slides altogether to force authentic synthesis and storytelling.

Key Takeaways:

• AI tools can be useful for refining slides or generating graphics, but should not replace original thinking or content creation
• Presenters bear full responsibility for verifying every data point and reference in their slides, regardless of how they were generated
• Homogeneous, AI-generated presentations risk de-skilling speakers and diminishing the value of in-person scientific conferences
• JACC's editor-in-chief argues that author accountability — not AI disclosure — is the more meaningful standard for scientific integrity

Why it matters: As AI becomes ubiquitous in academic medicine, the cardiology community is wrestling with where to draw the line. The stakes are high — scientific credibility, patient safety, and the future of meaningful medical discourse all hang in the balance.