GoKawiilNBER study: AI-written STEM dissertations linked to lower academic job rates
A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that nearly 30% of STEM PhD dissertation abstracts submitted in the US this year contained AI-generated text, up from under 2% in 2023. The study, which analyzed over 226,000 dissertations using the detection tool Pangram, also found that graduates whose dissertations showed AI-generated text were more likely to go into industry jobs and less likely to pursue academic careers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings raise questions, as co-author Daniel Gross suggests, about whether heavy reliance on AI during doctoral training affects the depth of scientific understanding students develop. Because PhD training shapes the next generation of researchers, a shift toward industry careers among AI-assisted graduates could signal changing incentives or skills gaps that may influence academic science over coming decades. The study has not yet been peer reviewed, so its methodology and conclusions could still be scrutinized or revised.
- About 29.4% of STEM dissertation abstracts filed in early 2026 contained AI-generated text, up from 1.7% in 2023.
- Analysis covered over 226,000 US STEM PhD dissertations using the Pangram AI-detection tool.
- Graduates with AI-generated dissertation text were more likely to enter industry and less likely to stay in academia.
Source: nature.com — Basu, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “PhD students who write dissertation with AI less likely to stay in academia”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.