The peer review process is a significant aspect of academic publishing, which shoulders the responsibility to ensure the quality and integrity of scholarly work. However, challenges such as a lack of formal peer review training, scarcity of reviewers, and bias in the selection process have posed daunting challenges. This paper explored the potential of PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows as peer reviewers through academic partnerships with publishing houses. “AI meta-audit test case” was employed to analyze “if there exists any publishing activities, in particular peer review services, involved in academic partnerships as well as the impact of PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows on peer review activities”. Our objective is to evaluate the extent to which PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows contribute to academic publishing activities through peer review services facilitated by academic partnerships. The project team defined key metrics in a set scope, determined data sources, designed AI-powered analysis approach, proposed hypotheses, identified risks and challenges, and above all, provided evaluation and recommendations. The study highlights the demand for structured peer review training, incentives for early-career researchers, and institutional collaborations to enhance the quality and efficiency of peer review process.