AI Statement

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

With the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and assistive AI technologies, which are being increasingly used by authors in the creation of scientific manuscripts, the Journal establishes requirements managing their use. The journal's editorial board will closely monitor developments in this field and revise these requirements as needed.

1. AI Use by Authors

General Principles

Author's Responsibility. Authors are always fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, including any information generated or processed by AI. The use of any AI tools (including generative language models (LLMs), image processing models, analytical and optimization algorithms) does not relieve authors of their responsibility for the reliability, scientific validity, and compliance with the ethical guidelines of the data, methods, and conclusions presented. AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts.

Transparency. The use of AI tools is to be disclosed in the manuscript, specifying the type of the tool and the purpose of its application in the Methods section (e.g., for data analysis, text writing, image generation, etc.). For each mentioned use, the following must be provided: the name of the AI tool(s) and their version, the tool manufacturer (if applicable), the specific purpose, and how the AI was used (e.g., "AI tool X was used for stylistic editing of the text," "Program Y was used for initial categorization of the data," "ChatGPT-4 was used to generate introduction sentences, which were then revised by the authors"). In case disclosure requirements are not met, the author’s actions may be considered as a violation of publication ethics.

Obligatory verification of AI-generated content. It is essential to ensure that the AI does not generate false or inaccurate information; it is important to verify all facts and references.

Data Confidentiality. It is prohibited to upload confidential information, subject data, or any other protected information to publicly available AI tools.

Permitted Uses of AI

1. Language and Style Enhancement: paraphrasing, readability enhancement, grammar and spelling check (without generating the main text). Authors may use generative AI and AI tools solely to improve the readability of their manuscripts. This work must be performed under human supervision, and the resulting AI-powered text must be carefully reviewed and edited by the authors. It is important to recognize that AI can generate text that appears authoritative though it may contain inaccuracies, incomplete information, or biases.
2. Information Synthesis and Generalization: assistance in search, literature review, and data systematization.
3. Data Analysis: application of AI algorithms to process and analyze big data, including pattern recognition, if the methodology for such analysis is clearly described.
4. Visual Material Creation: assistance in creating graphs, charts, and images (with the mandatory mentioning of the use of AI and confirmation of the originality of the data).

Prohibited Uses of AI

1. Passive or covert generation of scientific content. It is prohibited to present text, data, analysis, or interpretations generated in whole or in part by AI as original work without explicitly and fully disclosing the role and contributions of the AI.
2. Fabrication and falsification of data using AI. Using AI to create fictitious research data, to falsify research results, or to generate "fake" datasets that are presented as real is strictly prohibited. Any synthetic or simulated data must be clearly labeled, described in detail in the methods, and justified with describing the limitations of applicability. If synthetic data is used to train models, this must be disclosed and supported by the availability of source codes/settings for verification.
3. Violation of the confidentiality and security of personal data. Uploading personally identifiable data or other confidential data to cloud or third-party AI services without the explicit consent of subjects and without ensuring compliance with data protection laws is prohibited. Using AI services with unknown data retention/use policies to process confidential information is prohibited. Authors should select tools with documented security guarantees and/or use anonymization supported by methodology.
4. Copyright infringement and plagiarism using AI. Using AI to automatically compile copyrighted text, graphics, or images without appropriate rights or citation is prohibited. Generating text clearly based on the work of others without citing sources is considered plagiarism. When using AI to paraphrase, organize, or translate text from other publications, care must be taken to ensure proper citation and adherence to fair use guidelines.
5. Unsubstantiated conclusions and practical recommendations. Publishing practical recommendations, diagnostic conclusions, or therapeutic decisions generated entirely by AI is prohibited without review by qualified professionals and without specifying the limitations.

Violation of these restrictions may result in a request for corrections, a statement of doubt regarding publication, retraction of the article, a ban on further manuscript submission, and notification to the author's institution for investigation. In cases of data falsification, serious breaches of confidentiality, or fraud, the journal reserves the right to refer the materials to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

2. AI Use by Reviewers

Reviewing must remain professional, independent, and based on human expertise. AI tools may be used only as an aid; final judgments and recommendations must be made by a human reviewer. The reviewer is responsible for the completeness, accuracy, and ethics of the review.

Permitted Uses of AI by Reviewers

1. Assistance in refining the wording, style, and structure of the review text (formatting, grammar), provided that the content of the assessment and scientific criticism are formulated by the reviewer.
2. Fast search and summarizing of publicly available information (e.g., extracting key facts from non-specialized sources), provided this does not violate the confidentiality of the manuscript.
3. Automatic check of references, citations, and basic formal aspects (e.g., compliance with the journal requirements), provided that the results are verified by a human.
4. Use of specialized AI tools developed to assist in methodological evaluation (e.g., statistical verification), only if the tool is certified/clearly described and the results are confirmed by an independent expert review by the reviewer.

Prohibited Uses of AI by Reviewers

1. Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Uploading them or any parts of them (text, data, figures, tables, unsolicited supplementary materials) to AI tools is prohibited, as this may violate the authors' privacy and intellectual property rights. This rule also applies to reviews, which may contain confidential information about the manuscript and its authors.
2. Using generative AI to assist in scientific peer reviewing is prohibited, as the peer review process requires critical thinking and independent assessment, which is beyond the capabilities of AI. Reviewers are fully responsible for the content of their reviews.
3. Using AI tools that store or index uploaded materials and may use them to train models, if this violates privacy or copyright.
4. Sharing confidential information about an unpublished manuscript with third parties through AI services.

Violation of this policy (e.g., disclosure of a manuscript through an unverified AI service) is considered a serious breach of confidentiality and may result in disciplinary action by the editorial board, including revocation of reviewer’s privileges and notification of relevant institutions in cases of serious violations.