Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Scientific Societal & Behavioral Research Center (SSBRC) acknowledges the potential of AI tools to assist in the research and writing process. To maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and transparency, the following policy is in effect:

Permitted Use: The use of AI tools for improving the readability, language, and grammar of a manuscript is permitted. This includes tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Grammarly, and others for tasks such as:

• Correcting spelling and grammar.
• Improving sentence structure and flow.
• Suggesting synonyms.

Mandatory Disclosure:

• Any use of an AI tool must be explicitly disclosed in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. The disclosure must include:
• The name and version of the AI tool used (e.g., ChatGPT-4, DeepSeek, Grammarly Premium).
• A brief description of how the tool was used (e.g., "The authors used [AI Tool Name] to improve the grammatical flow and readability of the manuscript.").
• The date(s) on which it was used.

Prohibited Use:

• AI cannot be an author. AI tools do not meet the criteria for authorship as they cannot take responsibility for the work.
• AI should not be used to generate core intellectual content, such as creating research ideas, formulating hypotheses, analyzing data, interpreting results, or writing entire sections of the paper. The intellectual content must originate from the human authors.
• AI must not be used to generate literature reviews or citations, as AI models can "hallucinate" and produce fake or inaccurate references. Authors are solely responsible for the accuracy and integrity of all citations.

Author Responsibility:

• The human authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the entire content of the manuscript, including any portions developed or modified with the assistance of AI. This includes ensuring the work is original, accurate, and free of plagiarism.
• Failure to disclose the use of AI tools will be considered a breach of our ethical standards and may result in the immediate withdrawal of the manuscript.