9. Publishing with AI
Publishing AI-generated content
UQ’s Responsible Research Management Framework Policy provides guidance on conducting responsible research at UQ.
Intellectual property
AI tools can generate meaningful text in response to questions or instructions. It is critical to understand the intellectual property and research integrity implications of using these tools as part of your research or writing practice, a key professional skill for staff and students.
Copyright
The use of AI tools should be in line with UQ’s Intellectual Property Policy and not prevent you from licensing your work. As outlined in Legal, social and ethical issues with AI there are several copyright-related considerations you should be aware of in terms of AI use.
Email copyright@library.uq.edu.au for further advice or help.
Patents
Only a natural person (an individual or business) is considered an inventor under Australia’s Patents Act and Patents Regulations (based on a 2022 ruling of the Federal Court of Australia). This means that using AI to create something that could be patentable may prevent you from patenting the invention.
Contact UniQuest for further advice or help.
Grant writing
Australia’s major funding bodies advise caution when using generative AI tools to develop grant applications.
- Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the ARC’s Grants Programs (PDF, 214KB) July 2023
- Policy on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Grant Applications and Peer Review (NHMRC) June 2023.
Editorial policies of publishers
You should review the publisher’s authorship policy for any journal you are submitting to before including AI-generated content in your paper. Some publishers will:
- restrict the use of AI altogether
- allow AI for certain uses.
Publishers that do allow AI use may have require you to make a declaration concerning AI use and generally will not permit AI tools to be listed as authors to ensure accountability for the content and the integrity of the work.
Some of the larger publishers — including Taylor and Francis, Springer, and Sage — are adopting mandated AI disclosure policies to normalise the use of AI in academic publishing. Smaller journals, as well as non-English journals, may either not have AI policies or have varying levels of tolerance for AI use. Acceptance will vary by discipline and the nature of the paper. It is best to check the relevant publisher’s authorship policy or reach out to the journal editorial boards.
Mann et al. (2024) suggest there are three important criteria for the ethical use and acknowledgment of large language models in academic writing:
- Human vetting
- Substantial human contribution
- Acknowledgment and transparency.
Risks of undeclared AI use
Non-disclosure of AI use can lead to retractions of the article, which is a severe consequence in academic publication and the scholar’s reputation if caught.
