According to a survey by the academic publisher Elsevier, about 58 percent of researchers now use AI, compared to 34 percent last year. A total of 3,200 researchers worldwide participated in the study, including 87 from the Netherlands.

Most respondents (61 percent) mainly use AI to find recent research. They also find it useful for collecting and summarizing literature (51 percent) and preparing grant applications (41 percent). However, when it comes to more creative tasks—such as formulating a research question—they prefer to rely on their own expertise.

Trust

Not all scientists, however, have confidence in AI. Especially in North America and Europe, researchers are more critical: only about a quarter expect that AI can improve the quality of their research and teaching.

Still, they do believe that AI can save time: around 58 percent of those surveyed worldwide say they already experience this benefit.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.