Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Policy Statement
The Annals of Dentistry University of Malaya (Ann Dent UM) recognises that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly being used in academic research and scholarly communication. 
This policy outlines the expectations regarding the ethical use of AI technologies throughout the publication process.

Responsibilities of Authors
Authors may use AI tools to assist with activities such as language refinement, grammar editing, translation of texts, improvement of readability, document organisation, and coding support.
The use of AI should serve only as a supporting tool and must not replace critical scientific judgment, intellectual contribution, or author responsibility. All authors remain fully accountable for the accuracy, originality, and academic integrity of their work.
When using AI tools, authors remain responsible for safeguarding patient information and ensuring that any use of AI complies with relevant ethical standards, privacy regulations, and institutional requirements.

Transparency of Use
Where AI tools have been used in manuscript preparation, authors must provide a dedicated declaration statement describing:
•    The technology used;
•    The purpose for which it was used;
•    The extent of human review and modification.
The purpose of disclosure is transparency rather than restriction. Disclosure does not automatically influence editorial evaluation.
Example: 
"The authors used an artificial intelligence tool (Claude AI) to assist with language refinement and manuscript organisation. All content was critically reviewed and approved by the authors, who accept full responsibility for the final manuscript."

Authorship and Intellectual Responsibility
Artificial intelligence systems, machine-learning applications, and similar tools shall not be recognised as co-authors. Authorship is reserved for individuals who can assume responsibility for the integrity of the work, respond to scholarly inquiries, address concerns after publication, and comply with the journal's ethical requirements.

Unacceptable Use of AI
Authors must not rely on AI-generated information without independent verification. 
The following practices are considered unacceptable:
•    Inclusion of fabricated references;
•    Fabrication or manipulation of research data, images, visual materials, and results;
•    Creation of misleading scientific claims;
•    Using AI tools without appropriate disclosure;
•    Using AI tools to conceal plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct;
•    Submission of AI-generated content without appropriate human review.

Use of AI in Research Methods
Where AI forms part of the research methodology itself, authors must provide sufficient information for readers and reviewers to understand:
•    The role of the technology;
•    The manner in which outputs were generated;
•    Validation procedures employed;
•    Known limitations and potential sources of bias.
Reporting should be detailed enough to support scientific scrutiny and reproducibility.

Use of AI by Reviewers and Editors
All submitted manuscripts are confidential documents.
Reviewers and editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, author correspondence, or confidential editorial materials to AI systems that may retain, process, or reuse such information.
Editorial and peer-review decisions must be based solely on independent human assessment.

Editorial Assessment
The Journal reserves the right to evaluate the declared or suspected use of AI technologies during any stage of the publication process.
Where concerns arise regarding authenticity, originality, accuracy, image integrity, or disclosure, additional clarification may be requested from authors.
Failure to provide satisfactory explanations may influence editorial decisions.

Non-Compliance
Undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI may be treated as a breach of publication ethics when it results in deception, misrepresentation, fabrication, falsification, or other forms of scholarly misconduct.
Depending on the circumstances, the Journal may take actions including manuscript rejection, publication correction, retraction, notification of relevant institutions, or other measures considered necessary to protect the scientific record.

Policy Development
This policy may be revised periodically. The requirements will be updated when necessary to maintain the ethical standards of scientific publishing.