Science & Tech · AI · 4 hrs ago
Study finds AI saves scientists about seven hours of work a week
A Google study examined how AI is changing scientific research, using 15 million interactions with its Gemini tool and a survey of 600 scientists.
It found that 80% of scientists in the US and UK use AI weekly, with about half using it every day.
Scientists said AI saves them around seven hours of work a week, which they can spend on other research tasks.
AI can also help with administrative work, grant applications and writing scientific papers.
This could leave researchers more time for basic research and help them explore ideas beyond their usual fields.
But the change also raises questions about originality and ethics, including what the increased use of AI means for scientific work.
The study describes productivity gains, but the material provided does not say what steps researchers or institutions will take next.
A Google study found that about 80% of scientists in the United States and the United Kingdom use AI weekly.
Scientists surveyed reported saving about seven hours of work a week, which they reinvest in other scientific work.
The study also analyzed 15 million interactions with Google’s Gemini AI.
The findings raise questions about AI’s effects on scientific originality and ethics, as well as its potential to free time for research.
- Who
- Scientists in the United States and the United Kingdom.
- What
- A Google study found that AI use saves scientists about seven hours of work a week.
- When
- The study was published in September; the article does not state when the study was conducted.
- Where
- The United States and the United Kingdom.
- Why
- AI helps scientists save time, which they reinvest in other scientific work.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Google published a study on the relationship between AI and science.
Sam Wickley devoted his Economist column to whether AI helps or hinders science.
Corriere della Sera published its article about the study.
- Weekly AI use
- About 80% of scientists in the United States and the United Kingdom
- Daily AI use
- About half of the scientists surveyed
- Time saved
- About seven hours per week
- Survey size
- 600 scientists
- Gemini interactions analyzed
- 15 million
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