THE ASSESSMENT OF AI USE AS RESEARCH ASSISTANT IN ACADEMICS: A STUDY OF SELECTED INSTITUTIONS IN KWARA STATE

ABSTRACT This paper has explored the evaluation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) application as a research assistant in learning institutions with a particular reference to the chosen higher institutions in Kwara State in Nigeria. This fast adoption of AI-driven applications, including ChatGPT, Grammarly, Elicit, Scite, and reference management systems, has greatly changed the way students and researchers undertake academic research. In spite of these technologies becoming increasingly popular, there is still worry about their success, ethical aspects, academic honesty, and their possible excessive reliance. The survey research design guided the study that was anchored on the pertinent communication and technology adoption theories and adopted a quantitative methodology involving the use of structured questionnaires to be distributed among four hundred (400) respondents who were selected at the University of Ilorin, as well as, Kwara State University, Malete. Simple frequency and percentages distribution were used to analyze the data collected. The results indicated that awareness about the use of AI tools has been high, and their uptake is gradually rising among students and academic personnel who indicated that they found them useful in literature review, data analysis, academic writing, grammar check, and referencing. It was also discovered that AI tools contribute to increased efficiency, speed, and productivity of research. Nonetheless, issues like ethical issues, the fear of plagiarism, the absence of clear institutional instructions, and the threat of lower-order thinking were detected. The paper finds that although AI is a good research assistant in academia, its application should be subject to clear policies, ethical guidelines, and proper training to guarantee that it supports and not discourages academic integrity. The researchers suggest that higher institutions in Kwara State should establish clear guidelines on how AI can be used, ought to introduce AI literacy into education systems and should encourage AI usage to ensure that the benefits of AI in academic research are maximized.