This post comes from Paxton Sweeney, BA, a medical student at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in New Jersey and the lead author of a new study now in JBJS: AI-Generated Text in Orthopaedic Articles. A Cross-Sectional Analysis. The post is part of our “Author 360” series on OrthoBuzz, offering author insights and perspectives on featured JBJS content.
I started medical school right as AI chatbots exploded in popularity, and I immediately recognized their potential impact on scientific research. As I pursued orthopaedic research—working toward my goal of matching into residency—I noticed something striking: many of my peers were using AI tools to assist with their projects. Yet I saw inconsistency everywhere. Some journals asked authors about AI use during submission, others didn’t. Very few papers actually disclosed AI assistance in their published manuscripts. This gap between practice and transparency caught my attention.
Our study analyzed 196 articles from 10 leading orthopaedic journals and found that AI-generated content appeared in nearly 90% of manuscripts, and yet only 1% publicly disclosed its use. While these detection tools aren’t perfect and our estimates are conservative, the discrepancy is notable. Interestingly, AI-generated text was most prevalent in Results sections—likely because these sections involve standardized reporting of numeric outcomes, which may be particularly well-suited to AI assistance. Read the study.
I want to be clear: this study isn’t about condemning AI use. When used responsibly, these tools can improve clarity, increase efficiency, and help non-native English speakers communicate their research effectively. The real issue is transparency. Most orthopaedic journals already permit AI assistance with proper disclosure, and yet our findings suggest these guidelines aren’t being consistently followed.
The positive news is that this conversation is happening now, while we can still establish meaningful standards. As the orthopaedic community increasingly adopts these tools, we have an opportunity to lead by example—demonstrating that innovation and integrity aren’t mutually exclusive. Clear, accessible disclosure standards will allow researchers to leverage AI’s benefits while maintaining the trust and accountability that scientific publishing demands.
I’m optimistic that with continued dialogue among authors, editors, and journals, we can integrate AI into orthopaedic research in ways that enhance rather than undermine the scientific process. The future of AI in medicine is already here, and transparency will be key to ensuring it serves our field well.
Read the study at JBJS.org: AI-Generated Text in Orthopaedic Articles. A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Additional perspective on this study is provided by Joseph Bernstein, MD: Writing (and Rewriting) in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
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