The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announced on Mar. 18 new policies governing the use of generative artificial intelligence tools by authors and reviewers involved in the development and review of CAST publications.
The updated guidelines aim to ensure scientific integrity, transparency, and accountability as AI technologies become more common in research and publishing. The policy sets clear boundaries on how AI can be used, requiring full disclosure when such tools are employed and emphasizing that human contributors remain responsible for all content.
According to the policy, authors may use AI tools only for tasks like improving clarity, grammar, organization, or early idea development. Any use must be disclosed with details about the tool's name, model, version, and purpose. The creation of figures, images, data, or undisclosed text using AI is not allowed. Authors are required to verify all content themselves. For reviewers, permitted uses are limited to editing their own comments for clarity; manuscript content cannot be input into any AI tool nor can AI be used to analyze or summarize submissions. Disclosure is also mandatory for reviewers who use AI.
"Generative AI tools do not qualify for authorship, as authorship implies responsibility for tasks that can only be performed by humans. Therefore, authors and developers are solely accountable for the work produced by AI and utilized in any form of content through CAST," the policy states.
CAST has a long history of engaging thousands of volunteers and producing over 500 publications as part of its outreach efforts according to the official website. Its mission includes bringing together experts to provide credible information on agriculture, food, and natural resources to policymakers, media outlets, private sector stakeholders, and the public according to the official website. CAST also extends its membership internationally to influence global discussions on agriculture and food systems according to the official website.
The organization collaborates with scientific societies, individual scientists, students, company members and nonprofits in support of research and communication initiatives according to the official website. Operating as a nonprofit under a governance framework with bylaws according to the official website, CAST produces task-force reports and other publications covering topics such as agricultural science and technology for both public audiences and policymakers according to the official website.
The new policy will be reviewed regularly so it remains up-to-date with advances in artificial intelligence technology.
