Key points
- Most academics support AI for editing, not full writing
- Opinions divided on disclosing AI use in research papers
- AI use in peer review seen as partly acceptable
ISLAMABAD: A survey conducted by Nature on whether artificial intelligence should be permitted to write scientific papers has revealed “divergent opinions”, according to the journal.
Out of 5,000 academics surveyed globally, over 90 per cent considered it acceptable to use generative AI for tasks such as editing or translating. However, views varied on whether AI use should be disclosed, and to what extent.
Around 65 per cent of respondents believed it was ethically acceptable to write all or part of a paper using AI, while one-third disagreed.
When it came to peer review, more than 60 per cent felt it was inappropriate to use AI for conducting an initial review of a manuscript. However, 57 per cent supported the use of AI to assist during peer review by responding to specific questions about the manuscript.
AI involvement
Nature also noted a sharp increase in the number of papers showing signs of AI involvement. Nonetheless, only a minority of researchers in the survey reported using generative AI for editing, translating, or writing their papers.
An investigation by The Guardian has revealed that thousands of university students in the United Kingdom are cheating using ChatGPT and other AI tools.
During the 2023 24 academic year, there were almost 7,000 confirmed instances of AI-related cheating, or approximately 5.1 instances per 1,000 students. This is a steep increase as compared to the previous year, when the number stood at only 1.6 per 1,000.
Statistical data through May indicates that the figure is likely to increase this year too, and it may go up to 7.5 cases per 1,000 students. However, analysts feel that the actual magnitude is far bigger, with a lot of cases remaining unnoticed.
“The growing misuse of AI poses a serious challenge for universities, which are under increasing pressure to rethink their methods of student assessment in an age where tools like ChatGPT are easily accessible,” says Riaz Waheed, a researcher and political scientist from Pakistan.
