Disclosure regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence tools is now required

The Revista Eletrônica de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas (Electronic Journal of Exact and Technological Sciences) of the Federal University of the Recôncavo da Bahia (RECET/UFRB) has adopted a new editorial policy requiring a Declaration regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools during the manuscript submission process.

Under this updated policy, authors must state at the time of submission whether they used artificial intelligence tools in the preparation of their work. If such tools were used, authors must transparently disclose which tools were employed, the purpose of their use, and the specific stages of the research or writing process in which these technologies were applied. In addition to including this information within the manuscript itself, authors must also attach a formal declaration of AI usage as a supplementary document.

The adoption of this measure aligns with recommendations from prominent national and international scientific bodies and institutions, which have emphasized the need for transparency regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research and scientific communication. The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) recommends that authors explicitly disclose the use of AI in their manuscripts, stressing that such tools cannot be considered authors and that full responsibility for the content remains with the researchers. Similarly, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) advises that the use of AI-assisted technologies be declared during the submission process and described appropriately within the manuscript. In Brazil, the CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) Policy on Integrity in Scientific Activity—established by Ordinance No. 2,664/2026—sets forth specific guidelines for the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in scientific activities, reinforcing the mandatory requirement for transparency regarding its use at any stage of the research process. [publicationethics.org], [icmje.org], [gov.br], [psto.unb.br]

This initiative is also consistent with actions taken by the Federal University of the Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB), which established a dedicated working group on the subject and, in 2026, published the Guide for the Ethical and Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence at the Federal University of the Recôncavo da Bahia. The document outlines principles concerning human-centricity, transparency, accountability, academic integrity, data protection, and the ethical use of AI in teaching, research, outreach, and university administration. Among its recommendations, it specifies that AI systems must not be recognized as authors or co-authors of academic work, and that any use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in scientific output must be properly disclosed, including an indication of the tool used and its specific purpose. [guia ufrb], [cecult_ufrb.edu.br], [pdf], [ri.ufrb.edu.br]

The adoption of this declaration by RECET/UFRB does not preclude the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. The objective is to strengthen the principles of transparency, scientific integrity, authorial responsibility, reproducibility, and good editorial practice, ensuring that readers, reviewers, and editors are appropriately informed about the role these technologies played in the development of the scientific work. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, reliability, ethical compliance, and quality of the submitted content.

A template for the "Declaration on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools" is provided within the RECET/UFRB Guidelines for Authors and must be submitted alongside the manuscript.

To facilitate compliance with this requirement, RECET/UFRB provides a fillable template for the "Declaration on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools," which must be attached as a supplementary document at the time of submission. This form can be accessed directly on the journal’s website via the link "Template for the Declaration on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools" and is also available in the submission section and within the RECET/UFRB Guidelines for Authors. Completing and submitting this declaration is mandatory for all manuscripts submitted to the journal, regardless of whether or not Artificial Intelligence tools were used in the preparation of the work.