What's this about?
Emollick highlights a widening divide: some academic journals ban AI from the peer-review process while others are starting to require it. Concretely, two major economics bodies (the American Economic Association and the Econometric Society) have adopted AI-assisted reviewing.
What exactly is "peer review"?
Peer review is the vetting step where independent experts read a submitted paper and judge whether it's sound enough to publish. It's slow and overloaded, which is why some venues want AI help — and why others fear AI reviews will be shallow or gameable.
Why it matters
How the gatekeeping of scientific publishing handles AI will shape research quality and trust across every field.