Frontiers | Open science falling behind in the era of artificial intelligence

Abstract:  Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to a new generation of content generation technologies that emerged after the rise of Transformer architecture in 2017, characterized by its core technical features of “compute-intensive architecture, model-driven paradigm, and data closed-loop system” (Table 1). AI is accelerating scientific discoveries and reshaping the research process, propelling AI for science toward becoming a novel research paradigm. There is a pressing demand for open science due to these advancements, yet the development of open science lags considerably behind the AI era. This disparity arises from the loss of academic leadership and insufficient motivation to pursue openness within the industrial sector, which could hinder AI empowerment and scientific innovation. Effective intervention by the public sector and policymakers becomes crucial when the “invisible hand” fails.