On Monday 4 December, the European Research Council (ERC) published a prospective report on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific research, the aim of which is to understand the current uses and future developments and applications of AI in different scientific fields.
The document, based on a survey of 1,034 ERC grant recipients, out of a total of 1,046 ERC projects, also explores the opportunities and risks of such use and aims to provide evidence that can inform the development and implementation of policies related to AI in science.
According to the study, the use of AI to analyse and process data is one of the most remarkable prospects for the future.
The ERC points out that many respondents believe that AI represents a tool or support for human researchers. Respondents noted that this use could speed up or facilitate certain aspects of the scientific process. In particular, many of the researchers interviewed felt that generative AI could prove useful for repetitive or labour-intensive tasks. However, they remain sceptical about the contribution that AI systems will make to scientific discovery by 2030.
Another issue identified in the survey concerns the need for ethical guidelines to govern AI.
The ERC stresses that concerns have been expressed about the dissemination of false information or inaccurate scientific knowledge, as well as about threats to the integrity of research (plagiarism or misrepresentation of the source).
The report was drawn up in collaboration with the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation and its “Science Policy, Advice & Ethics/Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM)” unit. It will provide input for the forthcoming scientific opinion on the responsible use of AI in science.
Link to the report: https://aeur.eu/f/9zn (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)