AI Boosts Research Careers but Flattens Scientific Discovery

My analysis of over 40 million papers reveals that while AI tools help scientists publish more and climb the career ladder faster, they are simultaneously narrowing the scope of scientific inquiry. Instead of exploring diverse frontiers, researchers are clustering around the same data-rich problems, creating a paradox where individual success drives collective conformity and reduces the originality of scientific discovery.

"We are digging the same hole deeper and deeper."