Consensus: How GenAi Has Changed The Way I Research Information

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With the integration of GenAi into our study routine, many tools have emerged to help us in different ways. I have used ChatGPT, ChatPdf, and NotebookLM (specifically the podcast feature), yet one of my favorite discoveries has been Consensus Ai.

While many AI tools focus on generating content or completing specific tasks, Consensus AI stands out by extracting information from academic articles to answer your research question. The goal is to simplify the research process for users, by allowing them to ask complex answers and get supported simplified answers. Instead of spending hours scrolling through google to assess articles and academic papers, I am able to get answers a lot quicker.

Without credible sources, relying on GenAI tools can be a risky task. AI-generated responses may be missing the depth found in academic research, which can lead to oversimplifications​ , and without citations or links to references it is challenging to verify the accuracy of the information provided. Han, Z. et al. (2023) concluded that although ChatGPT can help educators, it cannot fully be used as a credible source. I believe what sets Consensus AI apart from other GenAI tools is that the content it generates can be backed up by credible sources. The platform summarizes your research question and uses academic articles in its answers. I have doubted the answers that GenAI tools, such as ChatGPT, have given me on numerous occasions and Consensus AI finds a solution for this concern.

The platform uses a fine-tuned language model over its database of more than 200 million research papers to extract the key takeaways from each one. It also removes words such as ‘what’, ‘is’, and ‘are’ from the question to run a keyword search over the abstract and title of all its papers. This allows the platform to measure the relevance of the papers to each question (Consensus Ai, 2024). Moreover, Consensus Copilot has a ChatGPT-type functionality. With your search, you can tell Consensus Copilot to answer questions, draft content, create lists, and more (Consensus Ai, 2024).

Pictured below, you will see a simple research prompt that I asked Consensus. My goal was to determine whether integrating GenAI into workflows increases productivity. Consensus provided a consensus meter, which indicates the level of agreement among different studies, a summary with a brief conclusion about the articles, a generated text that details facts and information to support the research question, and a list of the articles that were analyzed.

With Consensus, we have the opportunity to revolutionize the way we conduct research. This efficiency not only enhances our personal learning experiences but also creates the opportunity for collaboration between researchers by providing a common knowledge base. As a result, Consensus fosters a more data-driven approach to academic research, shifting the focus from merely collecting information to critically analyzing and comparing previous findings​. I believe this GenAI can help us become more productive in writing our assignments and finding information to back up our arguments. Have you used this AI tool before?

References

Consensus Ai. (2024, July 18). How it Works & Consensus FAQ’s – Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research. Consensus: AI Search Engine for Research. https://consensus.app/home/blog/welcome-to-consensus/

Han, Z., Battaglia, F., Udaiyar, A., Fooks, A., & Terlecky, S. (2023). An Explorative Assessment of ChatGPT as an Aid in Medical Education: Use it with Caution. Medical teacher, 1-8 . https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.13.23285879.