Journal of Human Evolution AI use prompts Editorial Board resignation

The editorial board of the Journal of Human Evolution resigned en masse, in part over concerns about the use of AI in the publication's production processes, prompting criticism of its publisher Elsevier's opaque and poor governance of AI . What happened Elsevier's The Journal of Human Evolution began using AI during production without informing its board of editors, resulting in numerous style and formatting errors and reversing versions of papers that had already been accepted and formatted by the editors. The errors altered the meaning of published works and increased the workload for editors, who were forced to spend considerable time correcting them. Why it happened The resignation reflects broader tensions within academic publishing, particularly regarding transparency and ethical practices. The editors voiced concerns about Elsevier's ongoing changes that undermined the journal's core principles and infrastructure and highlighted that the publisher had steadily eroded essential support systems while failing to consult with them on crucial decisions. The use of AI was particularly contentious as it was implemented without prior consultation. What it means The incident highlights Elsevier's opaque and inadequate governance of AI, and may put pressure on the company to be more transparent about its use of AI and other emerging technologies. F allout from th e incident could lead to increased scrutiny of AI's role in scholarly publishing and a shift towards a more transparent and accessible publishing model .

Date it happened

2025-01-01

Organisation involved

Elsevier

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