Artificial Intelligence and Academic Research: Understanding the Potential and the Threats to Academic Writing

Abstract

Background: Artificial intelligence is already altering the world and raising important questions for society, the economy, and governance. Scholars have largely focused on the utility of AI for human existence. Limited scholarly works seem to specifically address the potential and the adverse effects of AI-dominated use in the area of academic research.

Objective: This paper attempts to reflect on the implications of the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic research. Specifically, it examines the potential and possible threats of AI to academic research.

Methodology: The paper adopted an exploratory research approach that seeks to explore the emerging AI relationship with academic research to stimulate further study in the new field. Data were collected through a literature search to support the polemic discussion of the issues raised.

Results: The paper posits that Artificial Intelligence’s dominant use in academic research has the potential to analyse large datasets with speed and ease, reduce plagiarism, and improve literature review. However, it is likely to limit critical thinking, academic creativity, and the creation of indolence among academics and can also induce machine-mediated plagiarism, known as AIgiarism.

Conclusion: The paper concludes that though the application of Artificial Intelligence presents some advantages in the field of education, unethical reliance on it diminishes human creativity in scholarship and formerly recognises indolence in academic activities.

Unique contribution: The paper has articulated a discussion that can inform ethical and legal framework on the application of Artificial Intelligence in academic research.

Recommendation: AI tools need to be developed to distinguish between AI-supported research write-ups and human-written papers. This is important to discourage AIgiarism (plagiarism), which is inevitably thrown up by intelligent software applications.