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Can AI Review Scientific Literature?
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- AI can rapidly summarize scientific literature but lacks systematic review accuracy.
- Experts predict fully automated literature reviews may still be decades away.
- AI summaries risk errors and can spread low-quality or misleading information.
AI is making strides in the field of research synthesis, but experts are divided over its ability to fully analyze and summarize the vast landscape of scientific literature, as reported on Wednesday in a literature review published on Nature .
The paper by Helen Pearson explores how this technology seems to hold immense potential for streamlining scientific reviews, yet significant challenges remain.
Sam Rodriques, a former neurobiology student and director at the U.S. startup FutureHouse, is among those pushing for AI to tackle scientific literature, as reported on Nature.
In September, his team launched an AI-based system that, within minutes, created summaries on thousands of human genes, filling in details that previously went unrecorded.
This tool, called PaperQA2 , has shown promise in generating summaries that sometimes surpass human-written content in accuracy, according to early tests, as reported on Nature.
The appeal of AI for literature review is clear. Traditional research reviews, often lengthy and time-consuming, can take years to complete and risk being outdated by the time they are published.
AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, offers the possibility of quickly compiling data and summarizing information from vast databases, easing the burden on researchers, as noted on Nature.
Despite these advancements, AI-based reviews remain far from fully replacing human-led systematic reviews, which involve stringent criteria for assessing studies and synthesizing results, notes Pearson.
Tools such as Consensus and Elicit , AI-powered search engines, allow researchers to filter and summarize academic papers, providing a first layer of insights.
However, they are limited in their ability to conduct thorough, gold-standard reviews. Paul Glasziou, a specialist in systematic reviews at Bond University, suggests that full automation of these reviews could still be decades away, as repored by Pearson.
The article says how AI’s limitations raise concerns about accuracy and transparency. LLMs, for instance, can generate content that lacks context or misrepresents data, often drawing from unreliable sources without weighing the quality of information.
Additionally, they are prone to “hallucinating” errors—creating references or data points that don’t exist.
To mitigate this, some systems allow users to upload specific papers to an LLM, which can then base its analysis only on the uploaded sources, reducing inaccuracies but not fully eliminating them, says Pearson.
Critics warn that AI could flood the scientific landscape with low-quality or even misleading summaries. James Thomas of University College London cautions that poorly executed reviews could undermine years of evidence-based practices, as noted on Nature.
Ultimately, while AI offers a promising tool for accelerating the review process, experts stress the need for rigorous oversight and transparency if it is to genuinely enhance scientific understanding.
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Ohio Students Use VR To Train For Policing Scenarios
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Ohio’s East Liverpool High School introduced a Street Smarts VR system for criminal justice students.
- The system simulates real-world police situations, including traffic stops and active shooter scenarios.
- Students earn certifications like 911 dispatch, first aid, and CPR alongside VR training.
East Liverpool High School’s criminal justice program recently introduced a virtual reality (VR) system that immerses students in scenarios they could face in law enforcement, like traffic stops and active shooter situations, as first reported by The Business Journal (TBJ).
Funded through a Perkins grant, the Street Smarts VR system offers a level of interactivity and decision-making that instructor Chris Davis, a retired police officer, says helps students understand the reality of police work, particularly the absence of a truly “routine” call, says TBJ.
“There’s nothing ‘routine’ about a traffic stop,” Davis emphasized, explaining how the VR system replicates the high-pressure, unpredictable environment that law enforcement officers navigate, as reported by TBJ.
Davis, who served as an officer and K-9 handler for 21 years, can adjust each scenario to escalate or de-escalate based on student decisions, allowing them to face complex situations in a controlled setting, noted TBJ.
In these VR scenarios, students interact with virtual suspects and must make rapid choices, ranging from verbal commands to using pepper spray, a stun gun, or even a firearm.
“It’s a matter of seconds to make their decisions. They can be shot,” said Davis, who also noted that student responses are recorded and displayed on a screen for review and discussion, as reported by TBJ.
“When they take that mask off, it’s, ‘Whew!’ I tell them, ‘It’s OK to be afraid; you’re either going to panic or revert to your training, and the more you train, the better you get,” he added.
The program is one of the few in the area to offer students hands-on law enforcement training. Since its inception, the criminal justice course has grown from two students to 15, underscoring a strong interest in the field, noted TBJ.
Students also earn practical certifications, including 911 dispatch and first aid, which Davis believes give them a head start on basic skills needed in law enforcement, reports TBJ.
Beyond VR training, students conduct ride-alongs with local police and work on administrative tasks, learning various aspects of police work beyond the immediate response to crises, says TBJ.
Fellow student Chloe Galeoti said the scenarios have changed her perspective, making her more aware of the challenges officers face, reports TBJ.
The VR system is also available for use by local law enforcement, bridging a gap between East Liverpool High and police departments in Ohio. Davis believes the VR system could strengthen relationships with area police, giving students exposure to real-world situations and the opportunity to apply their training in a practical setting.
