Video: What Do Journals Say About Using AI-generated Images

Is it okay to use AI tools to create images, graphs, figures, and vector graphics in research papers? There have been instances where general tools like Midjourney or Dall-E have generated images with inaccuracies and gibberish content. Particularly, an AI-generated image published in a Frontiers paper had to be retracted after huge embarrassment! So, have journals banned the use of AI tools for image generation?

Find out in this video as Dr. Sunaina Singh explains to what extent authors can use AI tools. The permission to use AI-generated images is journal specific. While some journals allow it with user discretion, others prohibit it completely. AI tools for image generation should especially be avoided in medical sciences as they could contain nonsensical words. But what you could do is use AI tools to generate conceptual diagrams and flow diagrams, with appropriate disclosures of course! But avoid creating an image of a biological thing or a living being directly using AI tools.

While AI-generated images are discouraged in clinical papers, some engineering journals allow it under limited circumstances, such as for illustrative purposes. A key tip: Always check because policies keep changing around these AI requirements.

If you are looking for image-generation tools designed specifically for academic use, check out Mind the Graph for scientifically accurate illustrations.