AI-powered peer review needs human supervision
| Date | 13 December 2024 |
| Pages | 104-116 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JICES-09-2024-0132 |
| Published date | 13 December 2024 |
| Author | Mohamed L. Seghier |
AI-powered peer review needs
human supervision
Mohamed L. Seghier
Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, Khalifa University of
Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and Healthcare
Engineering Innovation Center (HEIC), Khalifa University of Science and
Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to appraise currentchallenges in adopting generative AI by reviewers to evaluate
the readability and quality of submissions. The paper discusses how to make the AI-powered peer-review
process immune to unethical practices,such as the proliferation of AI-generated poor-quality or fake reviews
that could harm the valueof peer review.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper examines the potential roles of AI in peer review, the
challenges it raises and their mitigation. It critically appraises current opinions and practices while
acknowledgingthe lack of consensus about best practices in AI for peer review.
Findings –The adoption of generative AI by the peer review processseems inevitable, but this has to happen (1)
gradually, (2) under human supervision, (3) by raisingawareness among stakeholders about all its ramifications,
(4) through improving transparency and accountability, (5) while ensuring confidentiality through the use of
locally hosted AI systems, (6) byacknowledging its limitations such as its inherent bias and unawareness of up-to-
date knowledge, (7) by putting in place robust safeguards to maximize its benefits and lessen its potential harm
and (8) by implementing a robust qualityassurance to assess its impact on overall research quality.
Originality/value –In the current race for more AI in scholarly communication,this paper advocates for a
human-centered oversight of AI-poweredpeer review. Eroding the role of humans will create an undesirable
situation where peer review will gradually metamorphose into an awkward conversation between an AI
writing a paperand an AI evaluating that paper.
Keywords Peer review, Scholarly communication, Research dissemination, AI, Generative AI,
Transparency,Confidentiality, Research quality
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The peer review process has faced, and subsisted, many challenges brought in by several
technological revolutions (Drozdz and Ladomery, 2024). Twenty years ago, David Shatz’s
book examined the value of peer review and its role as well as its future in the age of the
Internet (Shatz, 2004),depicting, for instance, how the Internet and the digital revolution had
completely transformed the peer review process. Digital technologies were fully embraced
as improvement vehicles for the publication process with little or no resistance from all
stakeholders. Now, in the current era of generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), many
stakeholders are excited by the huge benefits that such disruptive AI technologiescan bring
to the table, but at the same time are worried about real threats to the traditional research
dissemination as we know it. Because this new AI revolution is unlike any prior
This work was funded by Khalifa University.
Conflict of interest: The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.
JICES
23,1
104
Received10 September2024
Revised21 Oc tober2024
Accepted 17 November2024
Journalof Information,
Communicationand Ethics in
Society
Vol.23 No. 1, 2025
pp. 104-116
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/JICES-09-2024-0132
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1477-996X.htm
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