Broader Science, Narrower Roles: Scientific Expertise in the Age of AI

Chaoqun Ni

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Date: November 2, 2026

• Speaker:Chaoqun Ni (https://chaoqunni.github.io/)

• Title: Broader Science, Narrower Roles: Scientific Expertise in the Age of AI

• Abstract: Modern science depends on specialization and teamwork, with researchers combining complementary expertise through collaboration. Large language models (LLMs) offer a new way to access knowledge and methods across fields, raising questions about how scientific expertise is now assembled. Drawing on publication histories of over 775,000 scientists and contributor statements from more than 137,000 papers, we examine changes in what scientists work on, whom they work with, and how teams divide their work during the period of widespread LLM diffusion. We find that research portfolios broadened, collaboration networks became more interdisciplinary, and individual responsibilities within teams became more specialized. These patterns were more pronounced among authors with stronger AI-associated writing signals. Our findings point to a shifting relationship between the breadth of scientists' research and the work they perform.

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