“The share of biology preprints acknowledging large language model (LLM)

use has grown exponentially since 2023. In three years, LLM use

acknowledgments have nearly caught up to acknowledgments of specialized AI

tool use (17% versus 19%), which have climbed steadily since 2021.

Specialized AI tools include models for protein structure and design, image

analysis, single-cell sequencing, and genomics. The most commonly

acknowledged is AlphaFold, which predicts protein structure. It became

publicly available in July 2021 and is acknowledged in about half of all

preprints acknowledging specialized AI tool use. LLM usage is more varied,

including literature review, writing, and coding assistance. About 4% of

biology preprints in September 2026 acknowledged LLM use for research or

analysis, up from about 1% at the start of the year.”

From Epoch AI.