VANCOUVER, CANADA— A proposal is projected onto the conference room screen: “Researchers should disclose AI idea generation, even when none of those ideas are ultimately included in the final manuscript.” Dozens of attendees walk over to a sign marked “strongly disagree”; a few stand firm under the sign for “strongly agree.” The room erupts in uncomfortable laughter.

This was the scene here at the World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI) on 4 May, in a session where researchers, publishers, ethicists, and others explored a global standard for when and how researchers should disclose that they have used artificial intelligence (AI). The discussions will feed into guidelines that project co-leader Bert Seghers—a mathematician and head of the Flemish commission for research integrity in Belgium—hopes will be published by the end of this year.…