The Digital Press

Researchers increasingly use AI tools but are growing more skeptical about their effectiveness and reliability in complex tasks. While AI boosts efficiency and output, concerns about inaccuracies, privacy, and ethics are rising sharply.

Why it matters: Growing skepticism highlights the need for critical evaluation and cautious adoption of AI in research workflows.

Stunning stat: AI usage among researchers jumped from 57% in 2024 to 84% in 2025, but confidence in AI outperforming humans dropped from 53% to under 33%.

The stakes: Rising fears over AI hallucinations, security, and ethics risk undermining trust and slowing wider acceptance in academia.

Commenters say: Many feel initial AI excitement has faded into frustration with errors and inconsistencies, but acknowledge AI’s value in coding and routine tasks.