Is polished writing enough? AI and the illusion of quality

I was recently asked to peer review a specialized article for an academic journal. At first glance, the manuscript presented some interesting ideas, but it was riddled with significant issues, primarily related to writing style. The grammar and syntax suggested that English may not have been the authors' first language. Beyond that, they struggled to convey the rationale for the study and to explain their results in a way that a broader audience could understand.