Policy on the use of artificial intelligence

AI Use and Transparency Statement

The Revista Médica de Risaralda acknowledges the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated tools in scientific research and manuscript preparation. Accordingly, authors are required, when applicable, to explicitly declare the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools during the development or writing of their articles.

This declaration must be included in the Methods section of the manuscript and should clearly specify which tools were used, for what purpose, and how they contributed to data analysis, data processing, or text generation.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure transparency and traceability in the creation of scientific content, allowing reviewers, editors, and readers to understand clearly how AI tools were involved in the submitted work.

Authorship and Legal Responsibility

Ethical, scientific, and legal responsibility for the content rests exclusively with the authors. Artificial intelligence tools cannot be considered co-authors or co-responsible for a manuscript under any circumstances.

Authors must ensure the accuracy, originality, and reliability of the information presented, as well as compliance with scientific integrity principles.

Any form of plagiarism, data manipulation, fabrication of references, or misuse of copyrighted material—even if originating from AI use—will be considered a serious misconduct and will be subject to appropriate editorial actions in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Confidentiality Risks and Data Protection

The use of artificial intelligence tools carries potential risks related to the confidentiality of clinical, personal, or institutional data.

Authors, reviewers, and editors must take the necessary precautions to ensure that any information entered into AI systems does not compromise sensitive data or violate the rights of research participants.

It is reminded that the processing of medical or personal information in AI platforms must comply with national and international ethical and legal regulations on personal data protection and patient confidentiality.

Bias Review and Validation of Results

Authors are responsible for assessing, reporting, and mitigating potential biases arising from the use of AI in writing, data analysis, or interpretation of results.

They must also ensure that all AI-generated outputs are manually reviewed and validated before inclusion in the manuscript, guaranteeing that no conceptual errors, statistical distortions, or misleading inferences are present.

The journal reserves the right to request additional information regarding AI use at any stage of the editorial process to protect the scientific quality and integrity of publications.

Ethics and Best Practices in the Use of AI

The use of artificial intelligence must align with the ethical principles of scientific research and scholarly publishing, always ensuring transparency, intellectual honesty, and respect for human authorship.

The Revista Médica de Risaralda discourages the use of generative AI tools to produce experimental data, clinical results, or interpretations without human verification.

AI tools may be considered technical or analytical aids, but under no circumstances do they replace critical judgment, peer review, or the authors’ responsibility for published content.

Editorial Guidance References

This policy is based on the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) – Ethical Guidelines for the Use of AI Tools, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) – Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals, and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) – AI Policy Statement.