About this study

Welcome to the ExplanAItions site! This is the place to click around, explore, and deepen your knowledge on how AI is being applied in the research process. Our comprehensive study examines AI's role in research and reveals fascinating insights into where researchers worldwide are and are not embracing artificial intelligence. Through detailed analysis of 43 AI applications across the research lifecycle, we've uncovered compelling trends to share with you. Before you get started, here are a few key takeaways.

Growing Adoption and Confidence

While researchers currently focus on select AI applications, they anticipate rapid expansion across all research activities. Remarkably, most researchers believe AI already exceeds human performance in more than half of the studied use cases, signaling strong confidence in AI capabilities.

Regional Leadership

China and Germany are leading in the use of AI within the research process, with adoption rates of 59% and 57% respectively—much higher than the global average of 44%. However, researchers worldwide share common challenges, with over 60% pointing to insufficient guidelines and training as key barriers to their increased AI adoption.

Discipline-Specific Trends

Different fields show varying appetites for AI adoption. Computer Science and Medicine emerge as pioneers, with 44% and 38% of researchers respectively eager to be early adopters. Life Sciences researchers take a more measured approach, showing careful consideration in AI adoption while maintaining practical implementation rates on par with other fields.

Universal Need for Guidance

A clear consensus emerges across all demographics: researchers are looking to publishers for leadership. Approximately 70% of participants express a desire for clear guidelines on AI use in scholarly research and support in avoiding potential pitfalls.

See a preview of the 2025 report