Scientists are failing to disclose their use of AI despite journal mandates, finds study
A study found a dramatic rise in AI use in academic writing, but researchers are largely failing to disclose it despite journal policies.Summary
An analysis of over 5.2 million papers across 5000 journals revealed a significant increase in the use of AI writing tools in academic research since 2023, particularly in physics. Despite 70% of journals having policies requiring disclosure of generative AI use, a full-text analysis of 75,000 recent papers showed only 0.1% explicitly disclosed using AI. This indicates a major "transparency gap," as disclosure requirements appear to be ignored, with no significant difference in AI use between journals with and without such policies. The study also noted that researchers from non-English-speaking countries rely more on AI tools. The authors conclude that current prohibition or disclosure mandates are insufficient and call for "proactive engagement and institutional innovation" to ensure responsible AI integration in science.
(Source：Physics World)