Generative AI, such as ChatGPT, has the potential to revolutionize publication – both for good and ill. In June, the IEEE Publications Services and Products Board (PSPB) agreed interim policy for IEEE as a whole on the use of generative AI.

The main requirement is that use of content generated by AI in an article (including but not limited to text, figures, images, and code) shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of any article submitted to an IEEE publication. The AI system used shall be identified, and specific sections of the article that use AI-generated content shall be identified and accompanied by a brief explanation regarding the level at which the AI system was used to generate the content.

However, the VTS Publications Committee is concerned that AI systems cannot take the place of an author of an article. While it can often offer time savings, particularly for things like introductions and summaries, the nature of generative AI is such that it can’t be traced back to a particular source, and errors may occur. We have therefore agreed new policy for VTS publications – including TVT, OJVT, VT Magazine, VTS Mobile World, as well as VTS conferences.

Our policy is that AI tools may not be used in place of an author to generate content in an article. AI tools may be used to modify existing text generated by the paper authors, for example to improve grammar. Where AI tools are used for such purposes, their use shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section of the paper. The VTS BoG approved this policy at its meeting on 11 October 2023, and so it will apply to all articles submitted for publication after this date.

Existing IEEE policy forbids the use of such tools for the generation of text for a peer review. Doing so is considered a breach of confidentiality because AI systems generally learn from any input.

IEEE VTS Website