Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy

This policy outlines the principles for the acceptable use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, large language models (LLMs), and similar technologies in the creation, submission, review, and editing of manuscripts for the Polish Journal of Environmental Science, Politics, Economy and Industry (PJOES)

The underlying principle is that humans are responsible for all published content.

1. Policy for Authors

1. Authorship and Accountability
   
   1. AI Tools are Not Authors: Generative AI tools and LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship is reserved for human individuals who can take legal and ethical responsibility for the work.
   2. Human Responsibility: Human authors are fully responsible and accountable for the entire content of their manuscript, including the accuracy, integrity, and originality of any text, code, or data generated using AI tools.
   3. Verification: Authors must critically review, edit, and verify all output from an AI tool. Authors must confirm that all facts, data, and citations provided by the AI are correct and supported by evidence, as these tools are prone to generating "hallucinations" (false or misleading information).
   4. Plagiarism and Copyright: The authors must ensure that the use of AI tools does not result in the generation of text that violates existing copyrights or constitutes plagiarism.
   
   
2. Disclosure and Transparency
   
   1. Mandatory Disclosure: Authors must disclose the use of Generative AI tools if they were used in the writing, literature searching, or manuscript preparation process.
   2. What to Disclose: The disclosure should be detailed and include:
      
      • The name of the tool(s) and the version number used (e.g., "OpenAI ChatGPT-4," "Gemini Advanced").
      • The extent and specific purpose of the use (e.g., "used for enhancing the clarity and flow of the Discussion section," or "used for translating non-English references").
      
      
   3. Where to Disclose: This disclosure should be placed in a dedicated section titled "Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process" immediately before the Acknowledgments or References section.
   
   
3. Prohibitions
   
   1. Image Manipulation: The use of Generative AI to create, generate, alter, or significantly manipulate scientific figures, images, or artwork is strictly prohibited, unless the AI tool is an explicit part of the research methodology that is fully disclosed, reproducible, and verifiable.

2. Policy for Peer Reviewers and Editors

1. Confidentiality and Integrity
   
   1. Confidentiality Breach: Editors and Peer Reviewers are strictly forbidden from uploading any part of a submitted manuscript (unpublished, confidential material) into a Generative AI tool or LLM.
   2. Reason: Uploading unpublished material to a third-party AI system breaches the confidentiality of the author and may violate their intellectual property rights.
   3. Permissible Use: AI tools may be used by Editors or Reviewers only for general tasks that do not involve confidential material, such as drafting a standardized review report template or checking the meaning of a non-technical term.
   
   

3. Journal Commitment
The journals PJOES and PJOESPEAI reserve the right to investigate the use of Generative AI in any submitted or published article. Failure to disclose the use of AI, or the misuse of AI resulting in plagiarism or fabricated content, will be treated as a serious breach of publication ethics, potentially resulting in rejection or retraction.