EditorialPilot: Human-Centered AI for Scholarly Publishing

The scholarly publishing industry is at a defining crossroads. Rising manuscript submissions, increasingly complex research outputs, and the influx of AI-generated content are placing unprecedented pressure on editorial workflows. At stake is the trust, credibility, and integrity of scholarly communication.

EditorialPilot, Integra’s advanced AI-powered editorial workflow solution, addresses these challenges by combining automation with human expertise. It streamlines editorial processes while ensuring that final judgment always rests with people—not machines.

AI in Scholarly Publishing: Assistant, Not Replacement

AI’s true power lies in being a co-pilot for editorial teams. EditorialPilot is built on this principle—augmenting, not replacing, human judgment.

As Ashutosh Ghildiyal, Vice President – Growth and Strategy at Integra, explains:

“The future of publishing doesn’t lie in choosing between humans and AI, but in creating intelligent systems where both work in tandem. EditorialPilot ensures that while machines handle the mechanical, humans remain at the center of ethical and intellectual decision-making.”

This human-centered philosophy positions EditorialPilot as a solution that empowers editors, reviewers, and publishers to maintain academic integrity while gaining efficiency.

EditorialPilot’s AI–Human Workflow Framework

EditorialPilot integrates AI across the manuscript lifecycle through an eight-stage workflow:

1. Intelligent Submission Processing – Metadata validation, file checks, and categorization for cleaner intake.
2. Comprehensive Pre-Flight Screening – Multi-layered checks for formatting, readability, plagiarism, and image/data integrity.
3. Strategic Filtering & Prioritization – Flags low-quality submissions so editors focus on nuanced cases.
4. Enhanced Human Decision-Making – AI provides insights; editors make all final calls.
5. Reviewer Selection – AI suggests reviewers by expertise, diversity, and availability; editors confirm.
6. Augmented Peer Review – Summarization, citation validation, and structural suggestions—always human-led.
7. Decision Support, Not Decision Making – AI synthesizes reviewer input; editors determine outcomes.
8. Quality Assurance & Production Support – Post-acceptance formatting, disclosures, and metadata verification.

EditorialPilot in Action: Key Value Adds

Stage	EditorialPilot Feature	Benefit
Pre-flight Checks	Automated language editing	Clearer manuscripts, reduced desk rejects
Research Integrity	Plagiarism & image manipulation checks	Safeguards credibility
Language Assessment	Readability scoring	Improves author experience
Technical Checks	Formatting & JEO compliance	Smooth workflow transitions
Post-Acceptance	Metadata normalization	Error-free production

Beyond Automation: Elevating Editorial Integrity

Unlike generic automation tools, EditorialPilot reinforces peer review and research integrity. It addresses systemic stress points such as:

• Reviewer overload → AI-driven reviewer matching & productivity tools
• Lack of diversity → Data-informed reviewer recommendations
• Recognition gaps → Built-in reviewer acknowledgment features

Ecosystem-wide impact:

• Authors → faster feedback, clearer guidance
• Reviewers → reduced workload, AI-supported insights
• Publishers → scalable, compliance-ready workflows
• Institutions → stronger governance & credibility

Responsible AI Principles in Scholarly Publishing

EditorialPilot aligns with COPE and STM Integrity Hub standards, and follows Integra’s AI policy. Its four guiding principles are:

1. Human-led editorial decisions at every stage
2. Publisher-controlled, secure environments
3. Transparent AI workflows with full audit trails
4. Ethical AI development and accountability

Green Zone vs. Red Zone: Where AI Helps & Where Humans Decide

Green Zone (AI-enabled):

• Manuscript screening
• Formatting & language edits
• Plagiarism & image checks
• Reviewer-topic matching
• Clerical & batch processing

Red Zone (human-led):

• Final acceptance/rejection
• Synthesizing peer reviews
• Research integrity investigations
• Journal scope & strategic direction

This balanced model ensures that AI efficiency never undermines scholarly integrity.

Guardrails, Transparency, and Training

To support responsible adoption, EditorialPilot embeds:

• Guardrails → AI only flags, never finalizes decisions
• Transparency → Clear audit logs of AI contributions
• Training → Editorial teams equipped to interpret AI outputs, not blindly accept them

As Kayalvizhi Kumaran, General Manager – Product Delivery at Integra, notes:

“We built EditorialPilot to handle the mechanical heavy lifting in manuscript assessment—so editors can focus their expertise where it matters most.”

Looking Ahead: Human-Centered AI for Research Integrity

The future of scholarly publishing with AI is not about replacing editors—it’s about empowering them. EditorialPilot represents Integra’s commitment to:

• Faster, more accurate editorial workflows
• Strengthened research integrity safeguards
• Transparent, ethical AI integration in publishing

In an era where scholarly trust is paramount, EditorialPilot is more than an automation platform—it is a human-centered AI framework built to uphold editorial integrity in the age of AI.

The question is no longer if AI should be part of scholarly publishing, but how. With EditorialPilot Suite, publishers can ensure efficiency without compromising on the human judgment that remains at the heart of academic credibility.

The future of publishing lies in balance—where AI amplifies human expertise, ensuring that knowledge remains rigorous, ethical, and impactful.