‘Obviously ChatGPT’ — how reviewers accused me of scientific fraud

Lizzie Wolkovich, an associate professor of forest and conservation sciences at the University of British Columbia, was accused by a journal reviewer of using AI tool ChatGPT to write a manuscript. Despite her denial and the lack of evidence, her paper was rejected. Wolkovich, who maintains a meticulous writing process and uses Git and GitHub to track her writing progress, was shocked and dismayed by the accusation. She expressed concern over the casualness of the accusation and the lack of faith in her scientific integrity.

The incident led Wolkovich to reflect on the potential of AI to corrupt science and the peer-review process. She criticized the lack of standards and processes for handling accusations of AI-generated text and called for scientific societies to develop community-generated standards on the use of AI in manuscript writing. She also plans to continue using Git and GitHub to document her writing process and prove her work's authenticity.

Key takeaways:

E. M. Wolkovich, an associate professor of forest and conservation sciences, was accused of using AI tool ChatGPT to write a scientific manuscript, which she denies.
The accusation, which was made without evidence, highlights potential issues with the peer-review process and the potential for AI to disrupt scientific integrity.
Wolkovich suggests that scientific societies should develop community-generated standards for the use of AI in the manuscript-writing process and how to handle accusations of AI-generated text.
Following the incident, Wolkovich plans to use Git and GitHub for all her writing from the start, documenting changes daily to provide a clear paper trail.

‘Obviously ChatGPT’ — how reviewers accused me of scientific fraud

Key takeaways:

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