One in three corporate researchers have yet to use AI tools

One-third of corporate researchers have not yet used artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their work, according to findings from Elsevier's latest Researcher of the Future report.

The report, which draws on responses from both academic and corporate researchers, offers a window into how researchers view the current and emerging landscape shaped by rapid technological change, including the adoption of AI.

Time savings and potential

Among those corporate researchers who have used AI tools, many report clear benefits. The impact on routine work is particularly evident, with 63% of respondents noting that AI saves them time. Just over half (54%) believe that AI empowers them in their professional activities, and 47% feel it brings increased autonomy.

Looking to the future, 76% of corporate researchers surveyed expect further time savings from AI in the next two to three years. Additionally, 49% believe AI will help drive the creation of new knowledge, while 44% anticipate improvements in the quality of their work due to AI adoption.

Concerns and limitations

Despite these perceived advantages, the report highlights hesitation and concerns regarding the broader use of AI in research. A key issue identified is trust in AI-generated responses. Only 27% of respondents consider AI tools trustworthy. A significant portion-29%-claim that AI provides unhelpful answers, while 46% agree AI provides useful answers.

The use of AI for higher-value research tasks sees even more hesitancy. The report finds that 44% of corporate researchers would not use AI to write or draft papers, 47% would not use AI to generate hypotheses, and 49% would not use AI to design experiments. Currently, AI usage is predominantly for administrative tasks rather than core research activities.

Training and governance

Elsevier's survey also sheds light on challenges around skills and organisational governance. Only 35% of corporate researchers feel they have received adequate training in the use of AI, while just 41% believe that good AI governance practices are in place at their organisations. In contrast, 21% disagreed that their organisation maintains effective AI governance. These gaps suggest room for improved confidence and preparedness among researchers using AI tools.

For those researchers already using AI, almost one third (31%) rely more on general-purpose AI tools rather than research-specific ones. The report suggests that tailored, research-focused AI platforms with verifiable outputs could help build greater confidence and promote use in more substantive research functions.

What researchers want

Corporate researchers identify specific features that would encourage wider adoption of AI tools in the workplace. Seventy percent cite the need for automatic citations and transparent sourcing, 64% want explicit factual-accuracy and safety training, and 63% require confidential handling of research inputs. These preferences emphasise the importance of trust, transparency, and data security for scientific research conducted with AI support.

Industry perspective

AI has enormous potential to accelerate discovery, but general-purpose tools were never built for the precision and traceability that scientific research requires. As this study shows, researchers need transparent AI that cites trusted sources and explains its reasoning. Above all, it must meet the same standards of evidence and reproducibility as their own work. Achieving that depends on domain-specific data, rigorous validation, and collaboration across the research ecosystem.

Stuart Whayman, President, Corporate Markets at Elsevier, made these remarks while commenting on the study's findings.

Report background

The Researcher of the Future study examines not only the role of AI in research but also explores changing attitudes towards research integrity, collaboration, and the expectations on researchers to demonstrate the impact of their work. The findings are based on responses from 122 corporate researchers on their use of AI, research practices, and their perspectives on the evolving role of technology in innovation.