AI-Native Academia Should Build a Community Verification Layer

Abstract

This paper argues that AI-native academia should build a Community Verification Layer: interoperable, policy-governed infrastructure that converts researchers' routine reading and checking into persistent, claim- and version-linked evidence, while routing scarce deeper verification toward uncertain, consequential, and neglected research. AI is lowering the cost of producing plausible research artifacts faster than the cost of accountable evaluation, yet much of the evaluation researchers already perform while reading, citing, implementing, or extending work is never made reusable. We propose a tiered ladder from comprehension notes to claim checks, audits, artifact execution, reproduction, replication, and downstream validation. The layer would elicit judgments before revealing social signals, preserve multidimensional disagreement, privately verify contributors while allowing flexible public disclosure, allocate attention under expertise and coverage constraints, and make verification labor citable, with credit tied to the quality and depth of the evidence. We distinguish this design from prior open and post-publication review and outline governance requirements and potential counterarguments.