American Economic Journal-Applied Economics
Published by American Economic Association (AEA)
Economics
AI Policy at a Glance
AEA's American Economic Review editorial policy permits AI use for drafting or editing text with brief disclosure during submission. AI may not be listed as an author and authors are solely accountable for fact-checking AI outputs. The policy explicitly addresses text but does not separately address AI-generated images or AI-assisted data work — those are marked Unclear pending per-journal clarification. AEA also enforces separate Data Legality and Data and Code Availability policies. Reviewers must disclose any AI use and may only use tools that guarantee manuscripts are not used to train AI models.
Text
Writing or editing manuscript text with AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Copilot)
Images
Creating or modifying figures, illustrations, or photos using AI
Policy language is ambiguous. Treat as restricted — contact the editorial office to confirm.
Data
Using AI to assist with data analysis, computational methods, or code
Policy language is ambiguous. Treat as restricted — contact the editorial office to confirm.
Disclosure required
This publisher requires you to disclose AI use. See the requirements below for where and how.
Detailed Policy Findings
General Policy Language
Applies to all categoriesAI TEXT / WRITING
AllowedAI IMAGES / FIGURES
UnclearNo specific policy language found for this category. Consult the source policy directly.
AI DATA ANALYSIS
UnclearNo specific policy language found for this category. Consult the source policy directly.
Disclosure Guidance
Most AI policies require disclosure of AI use in your submission.
Requirements (Where to Disclose)
If AI software was used in the preparation of the manuscript, including drafting or editing text, this must be briefly described during the submission process. Authors are solely accountable for, and must thoroughly fact-check, outputs created with the help of AI software.
Template Language
This is sample language only. Always review the publisher’s specific disclosure requirements before submitting. Requirements vary and may change. BioRender is actively developing an automated disclosure workflow that will provide clarity to publishers on exactly how AI was used, if at all, on its platform and the degree to which it is copyright safe.
AI Text
Required by policyGeneric template — this publisher may have specific formatting requirements. Check the disclosure requirements above.
Methods section
AI-assisted tools (including [specify tool, e.g., ChatGPT]) were used in the preparation of this manuscript for [specify purpose, e.g., language editing/drafting/summarization]. All AI-generated content was reviewed and verified by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the integrity of the work.
AI Images
No policyNo explicit policy for this category.
AI Data
No policyNo explicit policy for this category.
Additional Policy Details
Peer Review Restrictions
Any use of AI during the review must be disclosed in the reviewer's cover letter and must be limited to tools that guarantee that the manuscript will not be used for training AI models.
Enforcement
AI software (chatbots, LLMs) may not be listed as an author. Authors are solely accountable for AI-assisted outputs and must thoroughly fact-check them. The policy explicitly addresses text drafting/editing; AI use for images and data is not explicitly addressed in the AER editorial policy and may be governed by per-journal practice.
Source & Verification
Policy checked on
May 21, 2026
Policies are verified periodically but may change without notice. This tool does not constitute legal advice. Always confirm with the original policy page before submitting.
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