Generative AI Policy

Use of AI Tools by Authors

Authors are permitted to use AI tools to support the preparation of manuscripts, provided such use is transparent, responsible, and ethical. AI tools may be used for tasks such as language editing, grammar improvement, and reference formatting. However, AI must not be used to generate content that substitutes for original scientific thinking or interpretation of results. Crucially, authors remain solely responsible for the content of their work, including any sections developed with the help of AI tools.

In accordance with the COPE Position Statement (2023), AI tools cannot be listed as authors under any circumstances. Authorship implies the capacity for accountability, consent, and intellectual contribution—criteria which AI tools do not fulfill. Therefore, all named authors must be human individuals who meet established authorship requirements.

Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must fully disclose the use of AI tools in their manuscript submissions. This includes, but is not limited to, tools used for text generation, image creation, data analysis, coding assistance, or translation. The disclosure should be placed in the "Declaration of the Use of AI" section of the manuscript and should specify the name of the AI tool, the version used, and the purpose of its application.

For example, authors may include a statement such as:

“The author(s) used OpenAI’s ChatGPT to edit and refine the wording of the Introduction. All outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors.”

or

"During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT to enhance the clarity of the writing. After using ChatGPT, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and took full responsibility for the publication’s content."

Failure to disclose AI usage may be considered a breach of ethical publishing standards and could result in rejection or retraction of the article.

For authors who did not use any AI tools in the preparation of their work, no disclosure statement is required. Authors may simply omit any reference to AI use in the declaration.

If authors prefer to state this explicitly, they may include an optional statement such as:

“The author(s) affirm that no artificial intelligence (AI) tools were used in the writing, analysis, or preparation of this manuscript.”

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images, and artwork

We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software might be applied to submitted manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.

The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or research methods (such as in AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret the underlying research data, for example in the field of biomedical imaging). If this is done, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section. This should include an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the image creation or alteration process, and the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. Authors should adhere to the AI software’s specific usage policies and ensure correct content attribution. Where applicable, authors could be asked to provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images used to create the final submitted versions, for editorial assessment.

The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork such as for graphical abstracts is not permitted. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may in some cases be allowed, if the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.