New AI-native workspace Prism aims to streamline scientific research, but raises concerns about data usage and the blurring of lines between human ingenuity and AI-assisted discovery.
OpenAI has introduced a new platform called Prism, an "AI-native workspace for scientists to write and collaborate on research." On its surface, the idea is to provide researchers with a unified platform to work from while conducting research, eliminating the need to jump between different programs and tools. However, experts warn that this could lead to a loss of nuance and depth in research.
Prism is built on Crixet, a cloud-based LaTeX platform acquired by OpenAI, and powered by GPT-5.2 Thinking, the company's most advanced model designed for handling extended tasks and reasoning. Users can draft and revise papers directly in Prism, search for relevant literature and context to cite, and use AI to create, refactor, and reason over equations, citations, and figures.
While the idea of AI-assisted research may seem exciting, its potential pitfalls are already being demonstrated. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have led to a surge in papers of dubious quality, with scientists relying on AI to handle routine tasks rather than tackling complex problems themselves. A recent study found that papers written by humans improved in complexity and merit as the writing became more intricate, while those generated by LLMs (Large Language Models) deteriorated.
The blurring of lines between human ingenuity and AI-assisted discovery is also a concern. Take Travis Kalanick's infamous claim of "vibe physics," where he boasted about using AI to explore the edge of quantum physics without actually contributing anything new. This phenomenon, dubbed "vibe coding" or "vibe physics," raises questions about the value and validity of AI-assisted research.
As for OpenAI's data usage practices, researchers may wonder how their contributions will be handled. The company claims that Prism does not currently use the "Zero Data Retention" API option and maintains logs for a limited period, but offers no timeline for implementing this mode or protecting user data. This lack of transparency raises concerns about the exploitation of researcher data.
The workspace is available for free with unlimited projects and collaborators to anyone with a ChatGPT personal account. It will roll out to organizations using ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Education plans "soon," with more powerful AI features to be made available through paid plans over time.
OpenAI has introduced a new platform called Prism, an "AI-native workspace for scientists to write and collaborate on research." On its surface, the idea is to provide researchers with a unified platform to work from while conducting research, eliminating the need to jump between different programs and tools. However, experts warn that this could lead to a loss of nuance and depth in research.
Prism is built on Crixet, a cloud-based LaTeX platform acquired by OpenAI, and powered by GPT-5.2 Thinking, the company's most advanced model designed for handling extended tasks and reasoning. Users can draft and revise papers directly in Prism, search for relevant literature and context to cite, and use AI to create, refactor, and reason over equations, citations, and figures.
While the idea of AI-assisted research may seem exciting, its potential pitfalls are already being demonstrated. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have led to a surge in papers of dubious quality, with scientists relying on AI to handle routine tasks rather than tackling complex problems themselves. A recent study found that papers written by humans improved in complexity and merit as the writing became more intricate, while those generated by LLMs (Large Language Models) deteriorated.
The blurring of lines between human ingenuity and AI-assisted discovery is also a concern. Take Travis Kalanick's infamous claim of "vibe physics," where he boasted about using AI to explore the edge of quantum physics without actually contributing anything new. This phenomenon, dubbed "vibe coding" or "vibe physics," raises questions about the value and validity of AI-assisted research.
As for OpenAI's data usage practices, researchers may wonder how their contributions will be handled. The company claims that Prism does not currently use the "Zero Data Retention" API option and maintains logs for a limited period, but offers no timeline for implementing this mode or protecting user data. This lack of transparency raises concerns about the exploitation of researcher data.
The workspace is available for free with unlimited projects and collaborators to anyone with a ChatGPT personal account. It will roll out to organizations using ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, and Education plans "soon," with more powerful AI features to be made available through paid plans over time.