Ethics and artificial intelligence in scientific communication: challenges for scientific journals

Abstract

Objective: The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific research demands clear ethical guidelines in academic journals. This study analyzes the ethical implications and challenges faced by scientific journals regarding the use of AI in manuscripts, highlighting the need for responsibility, integrity, and transparency in AI-mediated scientific communication. The objective is to understand how journals address the use of AI in their ethical guidelines.

Method: This is an exploratory-descriptive study with a quali-quantitative approach. Thematic analysis was applied to eight categories of guidelines: AI authorship recognition, human responsibility, permissions and exclusions in AI use, transparency, disclosure of AI types, location of AI use declaration, terminological precision, and ethical and integrity concerns.

Results: Most journals accept the use of AI for grammatical review but prohibit its use for text translation. It was also observed that there is a lack of specific guidelines for editors and reviewers, despite the increasing use of AI in editorial processes. The guidelines focus primarily on authors, revealing a gap in addressing other key actors involved in the scientific process.

Conclusions: It is essential for journals to develop broader and more detailed guidelines on the use of AI, covering all participants in the editorial process, to ensure that technological innovation is accompanied by ethical responsibility and scientific integrity.