AI tools boost individual scientists but could limit research as a whole
Link to a shared version of the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09922-y
This research article from Nature explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on scientific research. It reveals that AI tools significantly boost individual scientists' productivity, citations, and career progression, but collectively narrow the scientific focus and reduce collaboration among researchers. The study highlights a paradox where AI enhances personal impact but contracts the collective reach of science, concentrating work in data-rich areas and potentially limiting broader scientific exploration.
The rapid adoption of AI in the natural sciences presents a notable paradox. While individual impact and citations increase, the scope of inquiry narrows to established areas.
Scientific exploration risks being automated away if nobody takes the path less traveled.
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