Experts Explore AI’s Role in Research at Bergen Workshop
In early October a dynamic three-day workshop titled "AI Crossroads in Research Support: Data, Ethics, and Grants" took place at the scenic Solstrand Hotel & Bad just outside Bergen.
Organised as an ENGAGE.EU event, the workshop brought together prominent researchers, experts, and research support staff to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of academic research, focusing on data management, ethical considerations, and the grant application process.
Keynote speaker Dr. Enrico Glerean (Aalto University) emphasized the growing importance of AI in efficiently processing and managing text-based data for research purposes. His presentation set the tone for discussions about how AI tools, such as GPT models, can streamline data analysis while maintaining ethical standards.
Dr. Renat Shigapov (University of Mannheim) introduced FAIR GPT, a tool designed to ensure research compliance with FAIR (findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) and Open Science principles. Participants used AI tools in hands-on breakout sessions to create data management plans, ethical statements, and draft parts of grant proposals.
Ethical considerations were a major focus, with Dr. Glerean addressing AI’s legal challenges researchers face when using AI, and Anu Helkkula (Hanken School of Economics) presenting on how Finnish universities have been developing guidelines for responsible AI use in research and the recently adopted EU AI Act. Discussions highlighted the importance of AI transparency.
On the final day, Dr. Kerstin Bach (NTNU, Norway) presented a keynote on AI’s role in data mining, introducing many tools and demonstrating how researchers can harness AI to extract insights from large datasets. The workshop concluded with an emphasis on future collaboration and responsible AI integration in academic research support.