Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

In light of the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies—which are increasingly being used by authors in the preparation of scientific manuscripts—this journal has established requirements to govern their use. The Editorial Board will continue to monitor developments in this field and will revise these policies as necessary.

1. Use of AI by Authors

General Principles

Author Responsibility. Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, including any information generated or processed by AI. The use of any AI tools (including generative language models, image processing models, analytical algorithms, and optimization algorithms) does not absolve authors of responsibility for the accuracy, scientific validity, and ethical integrity of the data, methods, and conclusions presented. AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of the manuscript.

Transparency. The use of AI tools must be disclosed in the manuscript, including the type of tool and the purpose of its use, within the Methods section (e.g., for data analysis, text generation, image creation, etc.). For each reported use, the following must be specified: the name(s) and version(s) of the AI tool(s), the developer or manufacturer of the tool (if applicable), and the specific purpose and method of AI use (e.g., "AI tool X was used for stylistic editing of the text," "Program Y was used for preliminary data categorization," "ChatGPT-4 was used to generate draft text for the introduction, which was subsequently revised by the authors"). Failure to comply with these disclosure requirements may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

Mandatory Verification of AI-Generated Content. Authors must ensure that AI does not generate false or incorrect information. All facts and references must be verified.

Data Confidentiality. Authors are strongly advised not to upload confidential information, human subject data, or any other protected information into publicly available AI tools.

Permitted Uses of AI by Authors

1. Language and Style Improvement: Paraphrasing, enhancing readability, and checking grammar and spelling (but not generating the core text). Authors may use generative AI and AI tools solely to improve the readability of their manuscript. This work must be performed under human oversight, and the resulting AI-generated text must be carefully reviewed and edited by the authors. It is important to recognize that AI may generate text that appears authoritative but may contain inaccuracies, incomplete information, or biased judgments.
2. Information Synthesis and Summarization: Assisting with literature searches, reviews, and data organization.
3. Data Analysis: Applying AI algorithms for large-scale data processing and analysis, including pattern recognition, provided that the methodology of such analysis is clearly described.
4. Creation of Visual Materials: Assisting in the generation of graphs, charts, and images (with mandatory disclosure that AI was used, along with confirmation of the originality of the underlying data).

Prohibited Uses of AI by Authors

1. Passive or Covert Generation of Scholarly Content. Presenting text, data, analytical results, or interpretations generated wholly or partially by AI as one's own original work, without explicit and detailed disclosure of the AI's roles and contributions, is prohibited.
2. Data Fabrication and Falsification via AI. The use of AI to create fictitious research data, falsify research results, or generate fake datasets presented as real is strictly prohibited. Any synthetic or simulated data must be explicitly labeled, thoroughly described in the Methods section, justified with stated limitations. If synthetic data are used for model training, this must be disclosed and supported by the availability of source code or settings for verification.
3. Violation of Confidentiality and Personal Data Security. Uploading personally identifiable information or other confidential data to cloud-based or third-party AI services without explicit consent from subjects and without ensuring compliance with data protection legal requirements is prohibited. Using AI services with unknown data storage or usage policies to process confidential information is prohibited. Authors must select tools with documented security guarantees and/or apply anonymization validated by an appropriate methodology.
4. Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism Using AI. Using AI to automatically compile copyrighted text, graphs, or images without proper rights or attribution is prohibited. Generating text explicitly based on the work of others without citing sources is considered plagiarism. When using AI to paraphrase, systematize, or translate text from other publications, authors must ensure proper citation and comply with fair use guidelines.
5. Unsubstantiated Conclusions and Practical Recommendations. Publishing practical recommendations, diagnostic conclusions, or therapeutic decisions generated entirely by AI without verification by qualified experts and without stating limitations is prohibited.

Consequences of Violations

Violation of these restrictions may result in a request for corrections, an expression of concern regarding publication, retraction of the article, a ban on submission of new manuscripts, and notification of the author's institution for investigation. In cases involving data fabrication, serious breaches of confidentiality, or fraudulent conduct, the journal reserves the right to refer the matter to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

2. Use of AI by Reviewers

Peer review must remain a professional, independent, and human-expertise-driven process. AI tools may only be used as supplementary aids; the final judgments and recommendations must be made by the human reviewer. The reviewer bears full responsibility for the completeness, accuracy, and ethical integrity of the review.

Permitted Uses of AI by Reviewers

1. Assistance with wording, style, and structure of the review text (e.g., formatting, grammar), provided that the evaluative content and scientific critique are formulated by the reviewer.
2. Rapid search and summarization of publicly available information (e.g., extracting key facts from non-specialist sources), provided that manuscript confidentiality is not compromised.
3. Automated checking of references, citations, and basic formal requirements (e.g., adherence to journal guidelines), subject to human verification of the results.
4. Use of specialized AI tools designed to assist with methodological assessment (e.g., statistical checks), only if the tool is certified or clearly described and the results are validated by the reviewer's independent expertise.

Prohibited Uses of AI by Reviewers

1. Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Uploading them or any parts thereof (text, data, figures, tables, unsolicited supplementary materials) into AI tools is prohibited, as this may violate author confidentiality and intellectual property rights. This rule also applies to reviews, which may contain confidential information about the manuscript and its authors.
2. The use of generative AI to assist with scientific reviewing is not permitted, as the peer review process requires critical thinking and independent evaluation that go beyond the capabilities of AI. Reviewers assume full responsibility for the content of their reviews.
3. The use of AI tools that store or index uploaded materials and may use them to train models, if this violates confidentiality or copyright.
4. Disclosure of confidential information about an unpublished manuscript to third parties via AI services.

Consequences of Violations

Violation of this policy (e.g., disclosure of a manuscript through an unverified AI service) is considered a serious breach of confidentiality and may result in disciplinary action by the editorial board, including revocation of reviewing privileges and notification of relevant institutions in cases of severe violations.