The American Physical Society (APS) has introduced updated guidelines governing the use of artificial intelligence in the preparation and peer review of research papers submitted to journals.
The revised policy expands the scope of permissible AI uses and strengthens requirements for transparency, accountability, and protection of confidential peer review materials.
Under the previous policy, authors and reviewers could only use AI tools to a limited extent, such as elaboration, summarization, or light editing of manuscripts and reviewer reports, and only if the use was publicly disclosed.
The new guidance enables a wide range of AI-enabled activities, including literature synthesis, data analysis, scientific reasoning, figure generation, translation, and other substantive contributions to the preparation of manuscripts and reviews. APS emphasizes that any use of AI tools must be made public.
Authors and reviewers are asked to provide details, including the name and version of the AI tool used, how the AI tool assisted the work, how it was directed, how its output was verified, and any other information necessary to ensure transparency and maintain human oversight throughout the research and peer review process.
To protect the integrity and confidentiality of the research, APS also prohibited authors and reviewers from sharing peer review materials with unrestricted AI systems. The association says this policy provides additional guidance to help users navigate disclosure requirements and comply with APS journal-wide editorial policies.
According to APS, the updated framework aims to balance the opportunities presented by rapidly advancing AI technology with the association’s commitment to ethical publishing practices and rigorous peer review standards.
APS said it recognizes the pace of technological change and will continue to review and update its AI guidance as technology evolves.
