Scientists are failing to disclose their use of AI despite journal mandates (Physics World)
physicsworld.com
March 7, 2026
2 min read
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29/100
Summary
An analysis of over 5.2 million papers from 5,000 journals shows a significant increase in the use of AI tools in academic writing, particularly in physics. Despite journal mandates requiring disclosure of AI usage, many researchers do not report their use of these tools.
Key Takeaways
- An analysis of over 5.2 million academic papers revealed a significant increase in the use of AI tools in scientific writing, particularly in physics, since 2023.
- Despite 70% of journals having policies requiring disclosure of AI use, only 76 out of 75,000 papers (about 0.1%) explicitly acknowledged the use of AI writing tools.
- Researchers from non-English-speaking countries are more likely to utilize AI writing tools compared to native English speakers.
- The study suggests that current disclosure requirements are ineffective, highlighting a "transparency gap" in the reporting of AI usage in academic research.