BERA Artificial Intelligence (AI) Statement

Generative AI tools have rapidly evolved and are increasingly integrated into academic life through research, writing, and review processes. Their use must be approached with transparency, caution, and a commitment to research ethics.

While generative AI can assist with drafting, summarising, proofreading, or refining academic content, it cannot be considered capable of producing an original piece of research or submission without substantial human intellectual contribution and oversight. In accordance with COPE guidelines, generative AI systems cannot be listed as authors, as they cannot assume accountability for errors, ensure ethical standards have been adhered to, or respond to critiques of the work.

BERA expects all researchers to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and ethical conduct in their work. For work utilising AI, this includes, but is not limited to:

• Research integrity: Generative AI must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, modify, or falsify research data or findings. AI-generated content should not mislead readers about the provenance or originality of the work.
• Transparency: Any use of generative AI tools to support the creation of submissions to BERA must be fully disclosed at the point of submission, including specifying the tool used and what it has been used for.
• Accountability: Named authors are fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, validity, and originality of all content within their submission, including content produced or assisted by AI. They must take care to ensure that application of AI-based tools does not lead them to plagiarize, misrepresent or falsify content, or infringe third party rights
• Confidentiality: Inputting unpublished, sensitive, or proprietary material (such as manuscripts, peer reviews, or confidential data) into AI tools that transmit data to third-party servers may constitute a breach of privacy and confidentiality. Therefore, no confidential manuscript or peer review content may be entered into generative AI tools.
• Peer review and judging: Peer review must be a human-led process. Generative AI must not be used to draft, evaluate, or make decisions on peer review or judging processes. AI tools may be used in the final preparation of referee reports provided the use of AI is explicitly disclosed, including specifying what purpose (e.g. to improve language style) it was used for, and the reviewer retains full responsibility for the content and judgments expressed.

BERA will continue to monitor developments in AI technology and its implications for ethical research practices. Any undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI tools, particularly for the generation of content presented as original, may be considered a breach of the BERA Code of Conduct, and BERA reserves the right to take appropriate action.

BERA Council review this statement annually. Last updated: May 2025