I am thrilled to share some wonderful news: I have been awarded the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant for my project “scAIence.” This grant is a testament to the hard work and dedication of my team and me in pushing the boundaries of scientific research. The ERC Consolidator Grant is a highly competitive and esteemed award, aimed at supporting groundbreaking research across all fields.
The Vision of scAIence: At the heart of “scAIence” lies the ambition to critically assess how generative AI is reshaping the scientific discourse. The idea is that more and more scientific documents, like scientific articles, grants, and patents, are being (co-) written using generative AI, like the famous chatGPT. Yet, scientific documents are far from being used only to communicate scientific ideas – they are also used to quantify how science progresses, how social processes shape science, and how science shapes our society. If this AI-infused science is different from the human science we have so far, our measures, models, and interpretations based on scientific data need to be changed. In a nutshell, we need to quantify AI-infused science.
Methodology and Interdisciplinary Approach: “scAIence” employs a novel methodological framework, leveraging large-scale databases and controlled experiments. Our approach is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing insights from fields as varied as NLP, network science, computational social science, and AI ethics.
Potential Impact and Goals: Through “scAIence,” we aim to redefine how AI-generated content in science is understood and measured. The project seeks to offer a comprehensive overview of AI’s role in science, providing insights that could shape, among other things, future policies and practices in scientific research.
This ERC Consolidator Grant is not just a recognition of our project’s potential but also a testament to the growing importance of AI in the scientific domain. As we embark on this exciting journey with “scAIence,” we remain committed to uncovering the opportunities and addressing the challenges posed by AI in reshaping the landscape of scientific research and communication.
Acknowledgments: My heartfelt gratitude goes to the European Research Council for their support – they really embraced to support and to all collaborators who have contributed to the conception and development of the ideas behind “scAIence.” I look forward to advancing the frontiers of knowledge in this exciting and rapidly evolving field together with an amazing team of people.