Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is committed to advancing innovative research while upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity, data privacy and ethical conduct.

Researchers, faculty, staff and students utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools in PCOM-supported or grant-funded research must adhere to federal regulatory guidance established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Core Principles and Requirements

• Privacy and Confidentiality: Researchers must never input confidential, proprietary or identifiable data into AI tools. This includes Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).
• Stewardship and Accuracy: AI-generated outputs (e.g., prose, data analysis, code, references) must be verified for accuracy. Fabrication, falsification or unverified plagiarism resulting from AI tools violates standard research misconduct policies.
• Integrity: Uploading grant applications, proposal materials under peer review or confidential manuscripts into external generative AI platforms is prohibited.
• Ownership and Disclosure: Researchers must explicitly declare any substantive AI tool usage (defined as directly impacting the intellectual output or methodology of the work) in their methodology or acknowledgments, specifying the platform name, version and role (e.g., text editing, data analysis or code generation).

NIH Guidance and Policy Links

PCOM institutional standards align with National Institutes of Health (NIH) directives governing AI in biomedical and behavioral research:

• NIH Office of Science Policy: Artificial Intelligence in Research – Overview of policy considerations, data sharing and research participant protections.
• NIH Guide Notice NOT-OD-23-149 – Prohibition on the use of generative AI technologies in the NIH peer review process.
• NIH Data Science and AI Initiatives – Frameworks for AI/ML application, data management and FAIR data standards.
• NIH Intramural Research Guidance on AI – Best practices regarding AI usage in scientific writing, authorship criteria, and data security.

For specific questions regarding compliance, IRB submission with AI components, or data security protocols, please contact the PCOM Division of Research.