Rathenau Institute warns against irresponsible use of AI in science

Rathenau's call is a response to an article in the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant that explains how AI is advancing scientific knowledge across various disciplines. For example, palaeographists can use AI to date texts more quickly and accurately, and determine who wrote them.

However, the Rathenau Institute warns that AI poses many risks. According to the institute, Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT put “core scientific values under pressure,” including integrity, independence, and reliability. The organisation also sees a significant rise in AI-generated fake articles. In their view, clear rules for AI use must be established quickly.

Tracking research
According to a survey by the scientific publisher Elsevier, conducted at the end of last year, around 58 per cent of scientists in the Netherlands now use some form of artificial intelligence in their work. Most use it to track recent research and collect literature.

The Rathenau Institute is calling on universities and other knowledge institutions to establish clear guidelines. At the end of the day, they argue, we should be asking ourselves a fundamental question: “What kind of science do we want to produce, with or without generative AI?”

Code of conduct
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is currently working on a new code of conduct for scientific integrity. The document, which had a draft published last autumn, also addresses Artificial intelligence. 

"Only use technologies whose functionality is known and scientifically validated,” states the draft. This eliminates AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, as one does not know how they process data. In addition, the sources used are often unclear.

The new code of conduct will apply to both universities and universities of applied sciences and is due to come into force next autumn, according to KNAW.