Cell's AI Policy: Allowed Uses, a Dedicated Disclosure Section, and Image Rules
Cell Press follows Elsevier's generative AI policy: AI may support manuscript preparation with human oversight, disclosure goes in a dedicated section after the declaration of interests, and AI may not be used to create or alter research or data images.
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Quick answer: Cell Press follows Elsevier's generative AI policy for journals and adds its own rules for images.
Authors may use generative AI tools to support manuscript preparation, including literature synthesis and improving language and readability, but the use has to be declared in a dedicated section placed after the declaration of interests, and authors stay fully responsible for the content. That is the policy that authors submitting to Cell, Molecular Cell, Cancer Cell, Neuron, Immunity, or any other Cell Press title need to understand clearly.
Cell AI Policy at a Glance
- AI authorship: Prohibited. AI and AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed or cited as an author or co-author.
- AI disclosure: Required for generative AI used in preparing the manuscript, in a new section after the declaration of interests. Basic tools that check grammar, spelling, and references are exempt.
- AI-generated images: Explanatory images are allowed with disclosure. AI may not be used to create or alter research or data images or cover art (narrow editorial exception), and general-purpose generative AI image tools may not be used for graphical abstracts.
- Copy editing: Basic grammar and spelling tools need no declaration. When an AI tool makes substantive changes to the sentence structure or organization of a part of the text, Elsevier's policy says to disclose it.
The policy framework
Cell Press's AI policy has three pillars:
1. AI use is allowed for support tasks, with human oversight. Cell Press says authors can use generative AI tools, including agents and deep research tools, to synthesize complex literature, provide an overview of a field or research question, identify research gaps, generate ideas, and provide tailored support for tasks such as content organization and improving language and readability, within the limitations in the Elsevier policy. The technology must be applied with human oversight and control, authors should carefully review and edit the result because AI can produce output that is incorrect, incomplete, or biased, and authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work. AI tools must not be listed or cited as an author or co-author.
2. Disclosure goes in a dedicated section. Cell Press asks for a specific disclosure section. The statement is added at the end of the manuscript when the paper is first submitted, it is placed in a new section after the declaration of interests section, and it appears in the published work. If AI forms part of the research design or methods, the use must also be described in the methods or STAR Methods in a reproducible manner, with the name of the tool, the version, and the developer where applicable.
3. Images have their own rules. Cell Press allows AI tools for explanatory images and, in limited cases, for data visualizations, but it does not permit AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter research or data images. Details are in the image section below.
The template statement
Cell Press provides authors with an example statement for the disclosure section:
"During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article."
The section title is "Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the manuscript preparation process." Fill in the tool name, describe the purpose, and affirm responsibility. You don't need to write your own disclosure from scratch. If you have nothing to disclose, you do not need to add a statement.
A completed version would read:
"During the preparation of this work the authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI, GPT-4) in order to improve the English language quality of the Results section. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the published article."
What the policy allows, unpacked
The published policy is broader than language editing, but it does not list every use case. Here is how common uses map to what Cell Press and the Elsevier policy it points to say:
Use case | Under Cell Press policy |
|---|---|
Grammar and spelling correction with basic tools | No declaration needed |
Rewriting sentences for clarity or improving English for non-native speakers | Allowed; disclose when the tool makes substantive changes to sentence structure or organization |
Having AI draft text (for example an introduction) | Not listed by name among the supported tasks; the policy says AI tools must never substitute for human critical thinking, and authors must edit and adapt all material so it reflects their own analysis and ideas; disclose any use |
AI-assisted literature review or synthesis | Listed as an allowed support task; verify every source, because AI-generated references can be incorrect or fabricated, and disclose the use |
Reference managers | Basic functions need no declaration; declare it if an AI tool is used to select, collate, generate, or edit references |
Using AI as part of the research design or methods (analysis approaches, models) | Describe it in the methods or STAR Methods in a reproducible manner (tool, version, developer) and in the AI disclosure statement |
Code generation for data analysis | Not addressed by name on the Cell Press page; if the AI tool is part of the research methods, describe it in the methods or STAR Methods |
Generating figure legends | Treated as manuscript text: allowed as support with review and disclosure |
The gray areas are real. The policy was written with manuscript preparation in mind, and some uses (like asking an LLM to help structure a Methods section or suggest statistical approaches) sit between "manuscript preparation" and "research methods". When in doubt, disclose the use or contact the editorial office for clarification.
Scope across Cell Press
Cell Press publishes some of the most prestigious journals in biomedical science. The same policy wording appears on the journal policies pages of the Cell Press titles we checked (Cell, Molecular Cell, Cell Reports, Neuron, Cancer Cell, and Immunity). Titles in the portfolio include:
- Cell (IF ~45.1)
- Cancer Cell (IF ~54.5)
- Molecular Cell (IF ~16)
- Cell Metabolism (IF ~37)
- Cell Stem Cell (IF ~23.3)
- Cell Host & Microbe (IF ~23.2)
- Immunity (IF ~30.6)
- Neuron (IF ~16.9)
- Current Biology (IF ~7.7)
- Cell Reports (IF ~7.7)
- Cell Reports Medicine
- iScience
- And all other Cell Press titles
Cell Press is part of Elsevier, and its policy page requires authors to follow the Elsevier policy on use of generative AI technologies. The Elsevier rules therefore apply to Cell Press submissions, and Cell Press adds its own rules for images on top.
How Cell enforces the policy
Cell Press's published policies describe these checks:
- Author declaration at submission. Authors must declare the use of generative AI in manuscript preparation upon submission of the paper.
- Originality and image checks. Articles are checked with the Crossref Similarity Check originality service and screened against a Cell Press cross-journal database, and all accepted manuscripts are screened for image irregularities. The policy pages we read do not describe a separate AI-detection tool.
- Post-publication process. Concerns raised after publication are evaluated by the journal editors with the research integrity team, following Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines. Outcomes range from no further action to an editorial note, a correction, or a retraction.
The policy pages we read do not set out a separate sanction for AI-policy violations, so a concern would be handled through the general process above.
The image rules
Cell Press's rules for images follow the Elsevier policy and apply to figures, graphical abstracts, and cover art:
- Explanatory images (flow charts, schematic illustrations, workflow diagrams): AI tools may be used. Declare the use in the relevant figure legend and in the general AI disclosure statement, with the specific tool, version, and usage.
- Data visualizations (plots, charts, heatmaps): AI tools may support them only when the visual output is directly derived from the underlying data through reproducible methods that are reported in the methods or STAR Methods. Disclose the tool, version, and developer there and in the AI disclosure statement.
- Research or data images (microscopy, gels and blots, scans, and similar): AI or AI-assisted tools may not be used to create or alter them, including adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance.
- Cover art: not permitted. An editorial exception may be granted only when the use of AI tools is integral to the research described in the manuscript.
- Graphical abstracts: general-purpose generative AI image tools may not be used to create them.
Cell is well known for its high visual standards. The journal's graphical abstracts and cover images are distinctive features of Cell Press publications. The image rules protect both the scientific integrity of visual data and the editorial brand that Cell has built around visual presentation.
For authors creating graphical abstracts, which Cell requires, use traditional illustration tools (Adobe Illustrator, BioRender, PowerPoint) rather than generative AI tools.
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Cell vs. other elite biomedical journals
Feature | Cell Press | Nature | Science | NEJM | The Lancet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Permitted AI use | Support tasks (literature synthesis, language, readability) with human oversight and disclosure | General writing assistance | General writing assistance | Writing assistance with disclosure | Readability and language only |
Disclosure location | New section after the declaration of interests | Methods | Cover letter + acknowledgments + methods | Cover letter + manuscript | Acknowledgments |
Template provided | Yes | No | No | No | No |
AI images | Explanatory images allowed with disclosure; no AI for research or data images, cover art, or (general-purpose tools) graphical abstracts | Banned | Banned (editor exceptions) | Not explicitly addressed | Banned |
AI authorship | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited |
Elsevier parent policy | Authors must follow the Elsevier policy; Cell Press adds image rules | N/A | N/A | N/A | Lancet-specific rules override Elsevier |
Cell Press and The Lancet are both Elsevier titles, so Elsevier's journal policy is the shared starting point for both. The other columns summarize each journal's own policy and can change, so check the journal's current page before you submit.
Practical advice for Cell Press submissions
The oversight test. Before using AI on your Cell manuscript, ask: "Will I review, verify, and adapt everything the tool produces, and will I declare the use?" If the answer is no, you are outside what the policy asks of authors.
Non-native English speakers. Cell Press's policy lists improving language and readability among the supported uses. If English isn't your first language, you can use ChatGPT or Claude to polish your prose, as long as you review the output and disclose it using the template. Basic grammar and spelling tools need no declaration.
The dedicated section. Don't put your AI disclosure in the Methods or acknowledgments. Cell Press asks for a new section after the declaration of interests. If AI is part of your research methods, describe it in the methods or STAR Methods as well. Using the wrong location signals that you didn't read the journal's guidelines, which isn't the impression you want to make.
Graphical abstracts. Cell requires graphical abstracts, and general-purpose generative AI image tools may not be used to create them. If you used BioRender or Adobe Illustrator, that's fine. If you used Midjourney to generate a concept and then traced over it, you're in problematic territory.
The Elsevier overlap. If you previously submitted to another Elsevier journal and are resubmitting to a Cell Press title, the Elsevier policy is the common baseline, and Cell Press adds its own image rules. Check the journal's policies page for each submission.
Preparing a manuscript for Cell Press? A Cell submission readiness check can help ensure your paper meets the journal's standards, including proper AI disclosure formatting.
Bottom line
Cell Press follows Elsevier's generative AI policy: AI may support manuscript preparation, including literature synthesis and language improvement, with human oversight; the use is declared in a dedicated section after the declaration of interests using the provided example statement; AI cannot be an author; and AI may not be used to create or alter research or data images. The same policy appears across the Cell Press journals we checked, from Cell itself to Cell Reports. Staying within the policy is straightforward if you review everything the tool produces and declare what you used.
What should you do about Cell's AI policy?
Comply proactively if:
- You used any generative AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) in preparing the manuscript beyond basic grammar, spelling, or reference checking
- AI was part of your research methods, which must also be described in the methods or STAR Methods
- Your institution has its own AI use policy that may be stricter
Less concerned if:
- You used AI only for grammar and spell checking (the declaration does not apply to basic tools)
- Your only use of a reference manager was its basic functions, with no AI selecting, collating, or generating references
- Your use was limited to assistive technology used solely for accessibility purposes
Frequently asked questions
Cell Press lets authors use generative AI tools, including agents and deep research tools, to synthesize complex literature, give an overview of a field or research question, identify research gaps, generate ideas, and support content organization and improving language and readability, within the limits of the Elsevier policy and with human oversight. Authors remain responsible for the content. Basic tools that check grammar, spelling, and references need no declaration, and AI may not be used to create or alter research or data images.
In a new section placed after the declaration of interests section, titled 'Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the manuscript preparation process', added when the paper is first submitted. Cell Press gives an example statement: 'During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.'
Only in limited cases. Explanatory images such as flow charts and schematics may use AI tools if the use is declared in the figure legend and in the AI disclosure statement. Data visualizations may use AI only when the output is directly derived from the underlying data through reproducible methods. Cell Press does not permit AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter research or data images, or to produce cover art (with a narrow editorial exception), and general-purpose generative AI image tools may not be used for graphical abstracts.
The same policy wording appears on the journal policies pages of Cell, Molecular Cell, Cell Reports, Neuron, Cancer Cell, and Immunity, and the image rules are also stated on Cell Press-wide figure guidelines. Check the policies page of any other Cell Press title before you submit.
Cell Press follows Elsevier's journal policy, with disclosure in a dedicated section after the declaration of interests and its own image rules. Nature Portfolio publishes a separate policy, now a risk-based framework, so check each journal's own page rather than assuming the rules match.
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AI cannot be an author. None of the 49 policies we checked allows it.
Not a co-author, not an acknowledged contributor with a byline, not "with assistance from". What they do require is a disclosure, and the wording matters. The guide has the statement filled in, with what each publisher asks for beside it.
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