AI in scholarly publishing

AI in scholarly publishing

Author: PNAS May 4, 2026 Duration: 10:37

Generative AI and scientific journals

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Yi Bu explores how generative AI has changed academic publishing.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00] Introduction.
•[00:50] Computational social scientist Yi Bu tells about the policies academic journals have introduced to address generative AI.
•[02:17] Bu describes the dataset he analyzed and his findings regarding journals' policies.
•[04:07] He answers the question: Did journal policies have any effect on AI usage?
•[05:39] Bu talks about how the rate of AI disclosure compares with estimates of probable AI use.
•[06:53] He explains the takeaway for journal editors and the scientific community at large.
•[07:27] He lists the caveats and limitations of the study.
•[10:11] Conclusion.

About Our Guest:

Yi Bu
Assistant Professor
Peking University

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2526734123

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts for more captivating discussions on scientific breakthroughs!

Visit Science Sessions on PNAS.org: https://www.pnas.org/about/science-sessions-podcast 

Follow PNAS:
Twitter/X
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Sign up for the PNAS Highlights newsletter


Tune into PNAS Science Sessions for a direct line to the people shaping modern science. Produced by PNAS, this podcast offers more than just summaries of published research; it’s where you hear the candid, often personal stories behind the headlines. Each episode features concise conversations with the researchers themselves-from emerging voices to established Academy members-alongside the policymakers whose decisions are informed by this work. You’ll get a genuine sense of the questions that drive these experts, the unexpected hurdles they face in their labs and field studies, and why their findings matter right now. The scope is deliberately wide, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of science itself, covering discoveries that range from microscopic processes to planetary-scale phenomena. This isn't about dry lectures, but about capturing the human endeavor of investigation. For anyone curious about how science actually unfolds and wants to understand the context of breakthroughs as they happen, this podcast serves as an essential, engaging resource. It connects the dots between a published paper in a prestigious journal and the real-world implications that ripple out from it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

PNAS Science Sessions
Podcast Episodes
Ocean voyages and disease spread [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:06
How pathogen stowaways traversed the oceans Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific communi…
Why twisters target the United States [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:44
Why "Tornado Alley" is unique to North America Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific comm…
Creating culturally inclusive schools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:00
Creating culturally inclusive school environments Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific c…
How redlining affects biodiversity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:27
How redlining affects biodiversity Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn…
Animal's eye view of the ocean [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:55
Animal's eye view of the ocean Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the…
Inequitable exposure to wildfire smoke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:40
Inequitable wildfire smoke exposure in California Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific c…
Gentrification and biodiversity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:07
Biodiversity and gentrification Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn th…
School enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:10
School enrollment during COVID-19 Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn…
Emotional power of live music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:31
Emotional power of live music Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the…
Adapting to poor air quality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:30
Adapting to poor air quality Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the b…