AI and Research Papers (blog.computationalcomplexity.org)

The upcoming year of 2026 is poised to usher in significant changes in academic research writing, largely driven by advancements in AI technologies. The traditional landscape of research dissemination, shaped by innovations like the printing press and collaborative tools, is now entering a new phase where AI plays a critical role. While initial AI applications in writing have struggled—often generating inaccuracies or misleading citations—models like Gemini 3 are improving, paving the way for AI to take on more substantial tasks in the writing process. As we transition into what is being called the Verification Phase, researchers will begin relying on AI for critical reviews of their work, rather than solely for human oversight. This shift could see conferences and journals adopting AI reviews alongside traditional ones in response to overwhelming submission volumes. Moving forward, AI is expected to collaborate more actively with researchers, supporting generation and refinement of content, and potentially taking full control over formatting and drafting. This collaborative evolution may ultimately shift the trust dynamic between researchers and AI, leading to an era where human oversight becomes less intensive and AI-led drafting becomes the norm, fundamentally transforming academic standards and practices in research paper writing.