CNKI removes papers listing AI as authors, says AI can't be credited

Tongfang CNKI Digital Technology recently announced it has removed papers that listed AI tools like DeepSeek and Gemini as authors. This move follows debates over copyright and academic rules.

CNKI explained two key reasons. Legally, AI can't hold civil rights or own copyrights—only real people or organizations can. Ethically, AI can't take responsibility for research accuracy or corrections, which could lead to academic misconduct.

Now, CNKI won't accept AI as a paper author. All authors must be humans or legal entities. If AI tools were used, researchers must clearly state this in their methods or acknowledgments for transparency. Papers breaking these rules won't be published.