Journal of Informetrics· 2026Q1
AI boosts publication output more at non-elite institutions: Evidence from AlphaFold
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
AI tools like AlphaFold are increasing publication output more significantly at non-elite institutions, particularly in lower-tier journals, suggesting a shift in scientific competitive dynamics.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- AI models like AlphaFold are linked to greater publication output increases for structural biologists at non-elite institutions.
- The publication boost from AI is concentrated in lower-tier journals.
- A difference-in-differences strategy compared 3434 structural biologists to 3014 non-structural biologists.
- Elite institutions were defined as the top 50 by h-index.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
AlphaFold, an AI system for highly accurate protein structure prediction, has the potential to lower barriers in structural biology research. We hypothesize that its release has created greater opportunities for scientists at non-elite institutions. To test this, we employ a difference-in-differences strategy, comparing the publication output of 3434 structural biologists with that of 3014 other (non-structural) biologists. Scientists are categorized as being at elite or non-elite institutions based on whether their affiliations are among the top 50 institutions ranked by their h-index. Our findings suggest that AlphaFold-like models are associated with a larger increase in the publication output of structural biologists at non-elite institutions. However, this increase is largely concentrated in lower-tier journals. These results demonstrate how AI is reshaping competitive dynamics and altering the landscape of scientific progress.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Informetrics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Statistics, Probability and UncertaintyDecision Sciences