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Scientists have a bad case of AI FOMO, Nature poll reveals

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A Nature poll reveals that nearly half of surveyed scientists report feeling broadly negative towards artificial intelligence, though they acknowledge varying quality among different AI tools. This sentiment suggests significant ambivalence within the scientific community about AI adoption, despite recognition that some applications may be more useful or trustworthy than others. The article's title references "FOMO" (fear of missing out), indicating scientists may feel pressure to adopt AI despite their reservations.


This finding highlights a critical tension in modern research where scientists face pressure to integrate AI tools while harboring concerns about their reliability, ethics, or impact on scientific practice. Understanding researcher attitudes toward AI is essential for developing policies and tools that address legitimate concerns while facilitating beneficial applications in scientific work.


Nature, Published online: 09 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01690-7

Almost half of the scientists who responded said that they feel broadly negative towards artificial intelligence, but they think that some tools are better than others.

Source: Scientists have a bad case of AI FOMO, <i>Nature</i> poll reveals