Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Systemia: Journal of Law, Technology and Governance permits the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to a limited and reasonable extent, provided that such tools comply with applicable standards concerning copyright, intellectual property, confidentiality, research integrity, and data security.

Authors retain full responsibility for the originality, accuracy, validity, reliability, and integrity of all content submitted to the journal. The use of AI tools does not diminish or transfer these responsibilities. Authors must ensure that their manuscripts satisfy the standards of rigorous scholarly research, critical analysis, scientific evaluation, and independent academic judgment.

Where Generative AI tools are employed, authors must exercise appropriate judgment in selecting and using such tools. Authors are expected to verify that the selected AI system is suitable for the intended purpose and that its applicable terms, policies, and safeguards adequately address matters relating to intellectual property rights, copyright, confidentiality, privacy, and data security.

Generative AI tools must not be credited as authors or co-authors. Such tools cannot assume responsibility for the content of a manuscript, exercise scholarly accountability, provide authorship consent, or enter into copyright, licensing, and other legal or ethical agreements associated with publication.

Permitted Uses of Generative AI

Systemia: Journal of Law, Technology and Governance permits the use of Generative AI tools for the following purposes, provided that their use does not replace the author's substantive scholarly contribution:

• Idea generation and exploration, including brainstorming and identifying possible research directions;
• Language improvement, including grammar, spelling, clarity, readability, and academic style;
• Interactive research and information searching using Large Language Model (LLM)-based systems, provided that all information obtained is independently verified against reliable sources; and
• Literature organization and classification, including assistance in categorizing or organizing relevant scholarly literature.

Disclosure of Generative AI Use

Authors who use Generative AI tools in preparing a manuscript must disclose such use in the Materials and Methods section, where applicable. The disclosure should clearly identify:

1. the full name of the AI tool or system, including its version where available;
2. the specific manner and purpose for which the tool was used; and
3. the reason or justification for employing the AI tool in the research or manuscript preparation process.

The disclosure requirement is intended to promote transparency, reproducibility, and responsible use of AI in scholarly communication.

Prohibited Uses of Generative AI

Authors must not submit manuscripts in which Generative AI has been used in a manner that substitutes for core research, analytical, or authorship responsibilities. Prohibited uses include, but are not limited to:

• Generating synthetic or fabricated data to compensate for missing or unavailable research data without a scientifically rigorous and transparently documented methodology;
• Generating inaccurate, fabricated, misleading, or unverifiable scholarly content, including abstracts, references, supplementary materials, or research findings;
• Generating substantial manuscript content without critical human review, verification, revision, and scholarly validation; and
• Delegating substantive intellectual, analytical, or interpretive decisions to an AI system without meaningful author involvement and independent evaluation.

Prohibition on AI-Generated or AI-Manipulated Research Materials

Generative AI tools must not be used to create, fabricate, or manipulate images, figures, tables, visual materials, or original research data intended for publication in Systemia: Journal of Law, Technology and Governance.

For purposes of this policy, the term “images and figures” encompasses, but is not limited to, photographs, charts, graphs, diagrams, data tables, medical images, image excerpts, computer-generated visualizations, computer code, and mathematical or scientific formulas.

The term “manipulation” includes any use of AI to augment, conceal, move, remove, alter, or introduce specific features or elements within an image, figure, or other research material in a manner that could affect its authenticity, interpretation, or evidentiary value.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that all research materials submitted to the journal accurately represent the underlying research and have not been improperly generated or altered through the use of Generative AI.

Use of Generative AI by Editors and Peer Reviewers

Editors and peer reviewers must not upload, submit, or otherwise disclose unpublished manuscripts or materials obtained through the peer-review process to Generative AI systems. Such practices may compromise the confidentiality of manuscripts and expose proprietary information, unpublished research, personal data, intellectual property, or other protected information.

Accordingly, editors and reviewers must not provide unpublished manuscript files, images, datasets, excerpts, or other confidential information to Generative AI tools for purposes of manuscript assessment.

Generative AI tools may be used by editors or reviewers only for limited language-related assistance, such as improving grammar, clarity, or readability of a review, provided that no confidential manuscript content or identifying information is disclosed to the AI system.

The use of AI does not transfer or reduce the responsibility of editors or reviewers. Editors and peer reviewers remain fully accountable for the accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, independence, and scholarly integrity of their editorial decisions and peer-review reports.