In a world where science plays a big role in our everyday decisions, understanding it can be tricky. Scientists often write in a way that's hard for most people to grasp, using lots of technical terms or jargon. This can make the public feel left out or distrustful of science because they can't understand what's being said. But a new study suggests a way to bridge this gap using artificial intelligence (AI).
David Markowitz, a professor at Michigan State University, has been looking into whether AI can make scientific writing easier to understand. His research, published in PNAS Nexus, shows that AI can indeed simplify complex scientific papers.
AI does this by creating summaries or "significance statements" that use simpler words and sentences. For example, instead of "occupation," AI might just say "job," which is easier for everyone to understand.
In his experiments, Markowitz found that when people read these AI-generated summaries, they understood the science better. They could explain what they read more accurately than those who only read the summaries written by scientists. This boost in comprehension also seemed to make readers trust and think more highly of the scientists involved.
The importance of better science communication
However, there's a twist: when asked, people guessed that the simpler summaries were written by humans, not AI, showing a common misconception about how AI communicates.
While AI can make science more accessible, there are still things we need to learn. For one, as AI gets better, it could become a common tool in scientific journals, but we're not there yet. There's also the worry that simplifying too much might lose important details or introduce mistakes if not monitored. Plus, it's important for readers to know when AI has been used to avoid any confusion or bias.
Ultimately, while AI offers a promising way to make science more digestible, scientists themselves could also improve how they communicate by using less jargon and clearer language, which might mean even without AI, we can all understand science better.
Markowitz summarized his findings in an article published in The Conversation.
