Navigating Boundaries of AI Use in Physical Education Journal Research Publications

This study investigates the status and regulatory nature of Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage policies within mainstream English-language physical education journals. Ten peer-reviewed physical education journals were included. Results indicated a top-down, publisher-driven approach to AI policy formulation; however, the widespread adoption of these policies across the broader landscape of physical education journals remains limited. While AI authorship was strictly banned, regulations on content generation varied. Moreover, a regulatory asymmetry emerged, characterized by stringent confidentiality protocols for reviewers alongside comparatively lax standards for data privacy and security on the author’s side. Current governance relies on generic templates; thus, journals must transition to a human-centered framework establishing symmetric data protection and bias screening to safeguard integrity.