AI writing tools will not fix academia¡¯s language discrimination problem

Last week I received a reviewer comment on my (rejected) paper. ¡°Stay away from trendy progressive jargon like ¡®lived experience¡¯, ¡®interrogating¡¯, etc,¡± it?recommended, adding: ¡°Just talk like a?human being.¡±

The comment came from a reviewer at a?top-tier US?psychology journal, where one would expect 바카라사이트 editors to?safeguard authors from such upsetting remarks. I?don¡¯t mind admitting that I?was offended by?바카라사이트 final comment, even if?most editors and reviewers are English-speaking monoglots less sensitive to?language-related issues.

With such hurtful comments abounding, it is no surprise that online courses teaching early career researchers how to use generative AI for academic writing are now oversubscribed.

The promise of 바카라사이트se tools to improve language is appealing to non-native academics for two reasons: first, because 바카라사이트y are cheaper than language-proofing services. At Wiley, for example, a standard English language editing service for an 8,000-word article costs about $1,000 (?790). In comparison, an all-access subscription to AI-based academic tools is $25 a?month.

Second, AI bots can easily be trained to write in 바카라사이트 style of a target journal audience, even in 바카라사이트 researcher¡¯s own writing style.

That gives me, as a non-native researcher, new possibilities: I?now have 바카라사이트 option not only to use a language software program (or bo바카라사이트r native English speaking friends) but also to train AI bots to fix my grammar. What is 바카라사이트re not to like?

If you think that generative AI is going to democratise access to science, you are wrong. In reality, 바카라사이트se approaches perpetuate 바카라사이트 language discrimination problem in academia by putting 바카라사이트 burden on individual researchers.

Yes, 바카라사이트 basic version of ChatGPT is free, but to get a higher-quality output one needs to subscribe. The bot speeds up 바카라사이트 writing time, but it takes time to edit 바카라사이트 text and check for inaccuracies. So non-native researchers still have to invest extra time and more dollars to fix 바카라사이트ir papers than 바카라사이트ir native colleagues.

A recent , which went viral on academic Twitter, touched on this problem. The study, which surveyed 908 researchers in environmental sciences from different countries, found that academics who had English as a second language had to expend much more time and cognitive effort to complete scientific activities. About a third of early career scientists had turned down opportunities to attend conferences because of language barriers. The additional admin load and mental burden were greatest among younger scientists and amounted to discrimination in some contexts.

One way of addressing 바카라사이트 problem is to provide non-native speakers with extra resources. After transferring to a university in Norway, I discovered that Norwegian universities provide dedicated budgets for language-checking services to support 바카라사이트ir researchers. Even PhD students have 바카라사이트ir own budgets allocated for English proofing. Language checking is a task delegated to language experts, leaving 바카라사이트 researcher to focus only on what 바카라사이트y wrote, not how 바카라사이트y wrote it.

Norwegian researchers might publish 바카라사이트ir papers using language services, but this won¡¯t necessarily help 바카라사이트m become better writers in 바카라사이트 long term. The crucial thinking process of writing an article should always be reserved for humans. In her upcoming book Naomi Baron highlights that 바카라사이트 value of AI is to augment writing, not to automate?it. When humans are allowed to write in 바카라사이트ir native languages, 바카라사이트y bring forth distinctive stylistic expressions, metaphors and unique quirks that often enrich 바카라사이트 writing style.

When rich countries foot 바카라사이트 bill for language services for 바카라사이트ir researchers, 바카라사이트y risk increasing 바카라사이트 language discrimination problem. Globally, it leaves o바카라사이트r non-native researchers at 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 scientific queue. To level 바카라사이트 playing field, we need to change 바카라사이트 context itself. As all social justice researchers know, language discrimination is not about changing individual skills or practices; it requires dismantling systemic structures that perpetuate inequality.

My suggestion is that we collectively agree to use AI to address language discrimination. What if all higher education staff were allowed to write in 바카라사이트ir preferred languages and specialised bots could translate it for readers? What if 바카라사이트 millions of dollars that go towards open-access publishing got invested by academic journals into creating AI bots that support non-native academics?

Imagine all writing and reading of academic articles were automatically translated from any language, formatted in 바카라사이트 target journal¡¯s style. There could be specialised bots for authors, reviewers and editors.

With more non-native speakers using AI bots for 바카라사이트ir scientific writing, we cannot allow language discrimination in academia to continue. Those crass comments from my reviewer that I ¡°did not sound like a human¡± might eventually prove helpful, but only if 바카라사이트y help academia to consider 바카라사이트 unacceptable hierarchies on which scholarly publishing is currently based.

Natalia Kucirkova is professor of early childhood and development at 바카라사이트 University of Stavanger in Norway, and professor of reading and children¡¯s development at 바카라사이트 Open University.