If you really want to know how AI is changing peer review and where it is taking us, talk to early career researchers

The Harbingers study of early career researchers (ECRs), their work life and scholarly communications, began by studying generational —Millennial— change (H1 c.2016), then moved to pandemic change (H2 c2020) and is now investigating another potential agent of change: artificial intelligence (H3 2024–). We report here on a scoping pilot study from this study, which looks at the impact of AI on peer review for over 150 international ECRs from all disciplines. The data was collected by open-ended, in-depth interviews, but because it was a convenience sample the findings need to be treated with caution. It was found that ECRs are displaying a complex, shifting attitude toward the integration of AI into peer review, characterized by cautious optimism on the one hand and scepticism on the other. ECRs are already reporting specific instances of AI increasingly influencing reviewing practices both potentially beneficial applications and actual misuse and this was largely based on what they observed. AI is seen as a new systemic threat, potentially worsening the alleged exploitative nature of publishing if adopted without ethical guidelines.