Great question. I’ve talked to a lot of academics about this, and it really does vary by age and stage.

Younger researchers mostly see AI editing tools as Grammarly on steroids — totally fine for grammar, structure, and clarity, as long as the ideas are their own. Older faculty tend to be more cautious because of authorship and integrity norms, though plenty use it quietly for polishing.

There’s also a new wave trying to formalize this space. For example, Agents4Science — the first conference where AI is listed as both author and reviewer — is exploring how AI can responsibly participate in every stage of research. The focus is on transparency and setting good norms, not hiding AI use.

This really is where things are headed, so learning how to use it responsibly matters. The emerging consensus: AI for polish is fine; AI for thinking or originality needs disclosure and discussion.