Generative AI Use

AI in manuscript preparation
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools must not be listed as authors and do not qualify for authorship under any circumstances. Manuscripts written wholly or substantially by generative AI are not accepted. GenAI may be used only for limited supportive purposes, such as language editing or grammar correction. GenAI must not be used for content generation, scientific reasoning, data interpretation, image creation, or substantive rewriting. Any use of GenAI during manuscript preparation, including editing, must be transparently and fully disclosed by the authors. The disclosure must specify the tool used, the purpose of use, and the extent of its involvement. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and integrity of all content.

Where applicable, authors should include a GAIT statement within the Declarations section, for example:

"GAIT statement⁵ for Generative AI use: Generative AI was used for minor language editing in this manuscript. No content generation, data analysis, or substantive rewriting was performed. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work."

The following reference should then be cited when using a GAIT statement:
5. GAIT 2024 Collaborative Group. Generative Artificial Intelligence Transparency in scientific writing: the GAIT 2024 guidance. Impact Surg 2025; 2: 6–11.

Failure to disclose GenAI use may constitute a breach of publication ethics.

AI used in research
When artificial intelligence or machine-learning systems are used as part of the research itself, including study design, data generation, data analysis, image processing, or decision-making processes, their use must be clearly and transparently reported in the manuscript. Authors must describe the role of AI, the model or system used, training or validation procedures where relevant, and measures taken to assess bias, performance, and reproducibility. AI systems must not replace human clinical or scientific judgment, and authors remain fully responsible for all results, interpretations, and conclusions. Authors are expected to follow appropriate AI-specific reporting and transparency guidelines relevant to their study design, including but not limited to:

TRIPOD-AI (Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis using Artificial Intelligence)
CONSORT-AI
SPIRIT-AI
STARD-AI
CLAIM (Checklist for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging)

This policy aligns with current COPE guidance and international indexing standards for transparency and research integrity.