Webinar Recap: AI-Assisted Manuscript Screening – A Game Changer for Editorial Teams

On Thursday, April 3, 2025, we hosted a dynamic and well-attended webinar on a topic that’s rapidly reshaping the future of scholarly publishing: AI-Assisted Manuscript Screening – A Game Changer for Editorial Teams. The session drew professionals from around the world, all keen to explore how AI is transforming editorial workflows—and what that means for quality, integrity, and efficiency.

---

Framing the Conversation: Confidence and Craft in the Age of AI

The webinar was moderated by Ashutosh Ghildiyal, Vice President of Growth & Strategy at Integra, who welcomed attendees with an insightful introduction under the theme Confidence and Craft: Publishing in the Age of AI. He set the stage by addressing the anticipation and apprehension surrounding AI in publishing:

“Technology alone can’t solve all the challenges in scholarly publishing,” he remarked. “But it can play a significant role—especially as editorial teams face rising submission volumes, peer review backlogs, and growing concerns around research integrity.”

Ashutosh highlighted how the rapid expansion of scholarly publishing has led to heavier editorial workloads and increased complexity. While AI is no silver bullet, its emergence is timely—and its capabilities merit serious consideration. The goal: to explore what AI can realistically solve, where its limitations lie, and how publishers can harness its power responsibly.

He posed the central questions many editorial teams are asking:

• Will AI support or disrupt my work?
• Can it maintain editorial oversight?
• What about confidentiality and accuracy?

At Integra, we’ve been innovating with AI well before the recent surge in interest. We’ve developed AI-driven tools to help publishers streamline operations, boost efficiency, and drive cost savings. One such solution—AuthorPilot—was at the heart of this session.

---

Meet the Experts

We were joined by two senior Integra leaders who offered both strategic insight and practical expertise:

• Sureshkumar Parandhaman, Vice President – Solutioning & Transition, who spoke on how AI can elevate editorial quality and efficiency.
• Kayalvizhi Kumaran, General Manager – Product Delivery, who led a live demonstration of Author Pilot, Integra’s proprietary AI tool for manuscript screening.

Together, they delivered a rich, forward-thinking session exploring both the promise and practicalities of integrating AI into editorial workflows.

---

Deep Dive: AuthorPilot – Built for Editorial Teams

The core of the webinar featured an in-depth walkthrough of AuthorPilot, Integra’s AI-powered tool designed to help editorial teams screen manuscripts with greater speed, accuracy, and confidence.

Suresh provided the background and rationale for AuthorPilot’s development, focusing on challenges it helps solve: identifying common issues early, reducing manual checks, and integrating seamlessly with varied publishing workflows. He emphasized the tool’s configurability—its ability to adapt to different journals, platforms, and editorial policies.

Kayal then walked attendees through a live demo, showcasing:

• Author Pilot’s intuitive user interface
• Its customizable checks and alerts
• Integration capabilities with submission platforms

Her demo sparked particular interest around the tool’s approach to data privacy and security—a critical concern for many in the audience.

---

Lively Q&A: Your Questions, Answered

The Q&A session brought forward thoughtful and sometimes tough questions from attendees. Key themes included:

• AI as a support system, not a substitute: Tools like Author Pilot assist editors—they don’t replace editorial judgment.
• Customization is essential: Author Pilot can be tailored to reflect unique workflows, subject areas, and policy needs.
• Data privacy is foundational: The tool is built with strict compliance protocols and safeguards to ensure content security.
• Ongoing refinement: Author Pilot evolves continuously based on user feedback and real-world usage.

---

Looking Ahead: The Role of AI in Scholarly Publishing

In his closing remarks, Ashutosh reflected on the broader implications of AI in publishing:

“When thoughtfully implemented, AI is an enabler—not a disruptor. Editorial expertise and human judgment remain at the core of scholarly publishing. But AI can give us the breathing room to focus on what matters most.”

Integra remains committed to advancing this dialogue—offering tools, insights, and leadership to help the publishing community navigate this new era with clarity, confidence, and care.

---

Missed the Webinar? We’ve Got You Covered.

If you couldn’t join us live—or want to revisit the discussion—the recording is now available. Curious to see how Author Pilot could support your editorial workflow? We’d love to show you more.

Request a Demo
Watch the Recording

A sincere thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an insightful and inspiring session. This is just the beginning of our Confidence and Craft campaign—stay tuned for more resources, tools, and events.

Until then—keep asking bold questions, keep innovating, and keep publishing with purpose.

---