Google introduces Scholar Labs to enhance AI-driven academic search and research discovery
Neil Hoyne, Chief Strategist at Google, has taken to LinkedIn to outline a new AI-powered feature for Google Scholar. Google Scholar is the company’s academic search platform, used by researchers to discover peer-reviewed papers, theses, and scholarly literature from a wide range of disciplines.
The new tool, called Scholar Labs, uses AI to interpret detailed research questions, identify relevant themes, and match them to papers indexed on Scholar. The feature is experimental and available to a limited number of users.
In his post, Hoyne wrote that Scholar Labs can analyze a user’s question “to identify its key topics, aspects and relationships” before searching for all relevant components across Google Scholar. The tool then evaluates which papers best answer the question as a whole.
Hoyne added: “It uses AI to identify papers that best answer your overall research question. The big part it explains exactly how that paper answers your question.” The tool allows users to continue the conversation by refining or adding nuance to their query. Google notes that the system currently supports English-language questions and requires users to be logged in.
Feature provides explanations alongside search results
According to Google’s announcement, Scholar Labs provides not only a list of papers but also a brief explanation of why each result is relevant. Users can also view example research questions covering topics such as scientific methods, environmental sustainability, and medical standards of care.
Google positions the tool as a way to help researchers navigate complex problems that require multi-step evaluation rather than simple keyword search.
Scholar Labs is being released on a limited-access basis while Google collects feedback and performance insights. Users who do not yet have access can register to join a waitlist.
Hoyne encouraged researchers to try the demos already available, noting that feedback is welcome as the company continues to develop the featured. He ended his post by writing: “While it's an experimental feature available to a limited number of users right now, you can register for the waitlist and tinker with a few demos. Feedback, of course, is always welcomed!”
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