This policy clearly defines acceptable and unacceptable areas of AI application in the preparation of publications and requirements for disclosure of AI use by authors.

General Provisions

The policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies establishes the rules and standards for the application of such tools by authors, reviewers, and editorial board members of the journal "Plant Genetic Resources" during the preparation, submission, peer review, and editing of publications. The objective of this policy is to ensure transparency, responsible scientific practice, and compliance with international publication ethics standards in accordance with the recommendations of COPE, WAME, and the JAMA Network.

Definitions

AI tools refer to any automated or semi-automated systems, including generative language models (LLMs), automated text analysis tools, image processing algorithms, programming or data analysis tools, speech editing services, etc.

Core Principles

• Human Responsibility: AI cannot be an author of scholar material. Authorship is reserved solely for humans capable of bearing ethical, legal, and scientific responsibility for the article's content.
• Transparency: Any use of AI must be clearly disclosed in accordance with the requirements of this Policy.
• Accuracy: The validity and precision of all results, data, and interpretations, including those generated or modified by AI tools, remain the responsibility of the authors.
• Ethics and Standards Compliance: The use of AI must not lead to violations of scientific integrity, including data fabrication, plagiarism, hallucinated citations, or false visualizations

Requirements for Authors

• Prohibition of AI as an Author: AI tools cannot be listed as authors as they do not meet the criteria for authorship.
• Mandatory Disclosure of AI Use: Upon submission, authors must disclose:

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  • Whether AI was used (Yes/No);
  • parts of the material to which AI has been applied;
  • The name of the tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, etc.), version (if applicable), and date of use;
  • The purpose and scope of AI application (language editing, text generation, data analysis, image creation, etc.);
  • Specific sections of the material where AI was applied.
  • Note: Use of AI in research or data analysis must be described in the "Methods and Data" section. Other applications (e.g., text editing) may be noted in the "Acknowledgements" section.

• Responsibility for Content: Authors guarantee:
  • Verification of all texts, images, and data created/modified by AI;
  • Absence of plagiarism, fabrication, falsified references, or manipulations;
  • Compliance of results with scientific and ethical standards.

The Editorial Board may request additional materials (raw data, prompts, code) to verify accuracy.

Use of AI in Creating Images, Charts, and Illustrations

• If images, diagrams, maps, or charts were created or modified by AI, the caption must specify the tool and the nature of its application.
• Authors must ensure accuracy and avoid misleading readers, specifically avoiding AI-generated visualizations that create a false representation of real data.
• Authors must ensure they possess the necessary rights to use any AI-generated visual materials.

Use of AI by Reviewers

• Confidentiality: Reviewers are prohibited from uploading manuscripts or fragments thereof into third-party AI services that do not guarantee confidentiality.
• Disclosure: If a reviewer uses AI tools to assist in forming conclusions or technical editing, they must notify the Editorial Office.

Use of AI by the Editorial Office

• The Editorial Office may use AI for technical manuscript processing (plagiarism checks, structural issue identification, language editing), but all editorial decisions are made by humans.
• Automated conclusions cannot be the sole basis for ethical decisions regarding a manuscript; in such cases, the editorial office conducts an additional expert review.

AI Detection Tools

The Editorial Office may use specialized tools to detect AI-generated text and images. However, automated indicators are not considered sufficient proof of a violation. In case of doubt, the editors will contact the author for clarification and additional information.

Policy Violations

Violations include:

• Undisclosed use of AI;
• Understatement or falsification of information regarding AI application;
• Use of AI resulting in fabricated data, references, or visualizations;
• Breach of manuscript confidentiality by reviewers.

Depending on the nature of the violation, the editors may request explanations, demand corrections, refuse publication, inform the author's institution, or retract a published article in accordance with the established procedure.

Recommended Phrasing for Authors

• In the Cover Letter:"The author(s) declare that during the preparation of the manuscript, AI tool(s) [name, version] were used for [task]. All results created or modified by AI have been thoroughly verified and comply with scientific integrity requirements."
• In the Article (Acknowledgements or Methods):"During the preparation of this manuscript, the AI tool [name, version] was used for [task]. The authors confirm that all data and conclusions are accurate and verified."

Policy Review

Due to the rapid development of AI, this Policy will be reviewed at least once a year or following the release of new recommendations from COPE or other leading organizations in scientific publishing.