A team of researchers developed QED, an AI-powered system designed to deliver rigorous and constructive feedback on scientific manuscripts in minutes.
For Oded Rechavi, a molecular biologist at Tel Aviv University, academia is an anomaly in the universe in that it can provide opportunities for people to pursue creative science and chase scientific curiosities. However, he remarked, “The problem is that the fun ends when you need to publish it and go through the [review] process.”
While Rechavi emphasized that peer review and feedback are crucial, he was frustrated with the current state of this process. For many researchers, the peer-review system and the relentless “publish or perish” mentality can be exhausting. Along with an influx of manuscripts, the pace can be excruciatingly slow, with months or even years separating a preprint from its final publication. The process is also inconsistent for reviewers. There are only so many experts available to properly evaluate a study and provide meaningful feedback, while others may have conflicts of interest or biases. This dynamic can pressure authors to cater to reviewers’ preferences, potentially compromising the integrity of their research. He added, “I think most academics, specifically biologists, would agree that the current state of affairs is far from ideal.”
Two years ago, Rechavi pondered if there was a way to reimagine peer review and scientific publishing with artificial intelligence (AI). His idea? To build a powerful AI reviewer that provides users with constructive feedback. Together, he and a team of scientists from various backgrounds including AI, engineering, and biology created QED. Its name is derived from quod erat demonstrandom, a Latin phrase meaning “which was to be demonstrated,” which is typically signed at the end of mathematical proofs and philosophical arguments. Though not a peer, QED is an online tool that aims to help scientists improve their research before submission.