With machine automated formalizations now feasible, I wonder whether git repos (which would automatically include attribution) wouldn't make more sense as modern journals. e.g. you could have the core mathlib as the "prestige" journal, and then various "results in X" repos as more niche journals? If a theory or result becomes central enough, it is elevated to the core. Peer review becomes a PR, etc. "Journals" could also run a timestamp authority/notary that records when a commit was pushed.

This would make it much easier to catch such things and also easier to build more powerful math agent harnesses. Like you could imagine something like a Lean Hoogle that can locate any applicable theorems to whatever type(s) you have as a tool call.

I don't think lack of technological progress is responsible for the sorry state of scientific publishing, and I certainly don't think anyone wants to publish in a high-impact journal because Springer/Elsevier's publishing model makes sense.