AI in Academic Writing

Role of AI in the Writing Process: Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist authors in improving readability, linguistic precision, stylistic consistency, and grammatical accuracy of academic manuscripts. However, AI-generated text must always be reviewed and verified by human authors. AI tools may produce content that seems coherent but may contain inaccuracies, incomplete reasoning, or biased interpretations. Therefore, authors bear full responsibility for verifying the accuracy, validity, and scientific integrity of AI-assisted outputs. AI should be used as a supportive tool—not a replacement—for human expertise, critical thinking, and scholarly judgment.

Disclosure Requirements for AI Use: To ensure transparency and ethical scholarly communication, authors must explicitly disclose any use of AI tools or technologies during the manuscript preparation process. The disclosure should specify the AI tool or model used (including its name and version) and appear in the appropriate section of the manuscript. This statement will also be included in the final publication as part of the journal’s scientific openness policy.

AI Cannot Be Recognized as an Author: AI or AI-based systems cannot be listed as an author or co-author in any publication. Authorship implies intellectual accountability, critical evaluation, approval of the final manuscript, and responsibility for the accuracy of the content—all of which require human judgment. Only individuals meeting recognized authorship criteria may be listed as authors in HuBO.

AI in Scientific Illustrations, Images, and Artwork

Prohibition on AI-Based Image Modification: The use of AI to generate, alter, or manipulate scientific images, figures, or visual data in manuscripts is prohibited. This includes adding, removing, or enhancing elements that may distort or obscure original information. Minor technical adjustments such as brightness, contrast, or color balance are permissible only if they do not modify the underlying data. Such adjustments must be applied transparently and disclosed in the Methods section when relevant.

Exceptions in Research Methodology: Exceptions are allowed when AI is part of the research methodology—for example, in data analysis, biomedical imaging, or computational modeling. In these cases, authors must clearly describe how AI was used in the Methods section, including:

• The name of the AI software or model used
• The version and extension number of the software
• The developer or manufacturer of the AI technology

Editors may request that authors provide original (pre-AI) images or raw data to verify that the final output upholds the standards of scientific integrity.

Prohibition on AI-Generated Scientific Artwork: AI-generated graphical abstracts, diagrams, or other scientific artwork are not permitted for publication. However, exceptions may be considered for non-scientific uses such as cover art, under the following conditions:

• Prior approval must be obtained from the journal editor and publisher
• Authors must ensure full copyright ownership and non-infringement of third-party rights
• Proper attribution must be provided according to applicable guidelines

Privacy and Data Security Protection: Authors must be aware that any data entered into AI systems may be accessible to the service provider. Therefore, AI should not be used to process confidential, sensitive, or unpublished research materials. To safeguard the confidentiality of the peer review process, editors and reviewers are strictly prohibited from inputting any manuscript materials into AI systems. This measure ensures the protection of intellectual property and academic confidentiality.

This policy aligns with international publishing ethics standards established by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and aims to promote transparency, accountability, and integrity in AI-assisted academic publishing.