SAN FRANCISCO – OpenAI is unveiling a free tool designed to assist scientists in utilizing ChatGPT to draft research papers and collaborate with colleagues, marking a strategic effort to position its chatbot as a valuable resource for scientific endeavors. The tool, named Prism, was launched on January 27 and leverages the company’s GPT-5.2 AI model to facilitate tasks related to academic writing and revision.
With Prism, scientists can request improvements to their manuscripts, locate related papers for citation, or even create a digital version of handwritten diagrams. This tool operates directly within an internet browser and employs LaTeX, a widely used formatting system in academic publishing. OpenAI has stated that an unlimited number of users can collaborate on a single project using Prism.
The focus on scientific and healthcare applications has been a growing trend among OpenAI and its competitors, including Alphabet’s Google and Anthropic. These companies are exploring how AI can guide research on new drugs and analyze personal medical data. OpenAI’s data indicates a burgeoning interest in these applications, with ChatGPT handling an average of 8.4 million messages per week related to advanced science and mathematics topics. Furthermore, the company reported a 47 percent increase in “advanced science messages” in 2025.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s vice president for science, discussed the company’s ambitions for AI in research during a briefing with reporters on January 26. He expressed confidence that interest in these tools will continue to grow, noting that smaller advancements in AI are beginning to accumulate. “I think 2026 will be for AI and science what 2025 was for AI and software engineering,” Weil remarked, drawing a parallel to the rapid rise of AI coding assistants.
In a demonstration of Prism, OpenAI researcher Alex Lupsasca illustrated the software’s capabilities by generating a version of a diagram he had previously sketched on a whiteboard. Lupsasca, who serves as an assistant professor of physics and math at Vanderbilt University, noted that the manual process of creating such diagrams can take hours. However, within a few minutes and a few adjustments, Prism produced an accurate representation of the original diagram.
Additionally, Lupsasca utilized the tool to request academic papers pertinent to his research topic and quickly received a curated list with links. He cautioned that users should verify the accuracy of the results but highlighted that compiling such a list typically requires substantial time investment.
Currently, Prism is accessible to both free and paid individual users of ChatGPT, with plans for integration into business and education platforms in the near future. OpenAI’s initiative signifies a critical step toward enhancing productivity in scientific research through the application of AI technologies.
As the capabilities of AI continue to evolve, tools like Prism may redefine collaborative research processes, potentially accelerating scientific discoveries and transforming how researchers engage with complex data. With ongoing investment in AI applications, the future landscape of scientific inquiry and innovation appears promising.
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