LLM use is acknowledged almost as often as specialized AI tools in biology preprints
LLM use is acknowledged almost as often as specialized AI tools in biology preprints
Epoch AI analyzed 47,000 preprints on bioRxiv from January 2020 to September 2026 using GPT-5.6 Sol, finding that 15.5% admitted to using LLM, almost the same as the proportion of those who admitted to using professional AI tools (15.7%); OpenAI Decisions API, based on GPT-6 Luna, categorizes LLM usage into four major categories: research, code computation, writing, and literature review.
Epoch's work is free to use, distribute, and reproduce provided the source and authors are credited under the Creative Commons BY license.
Learn more about this graph
This data insight is based on our AI use in research explorer. We use GPT-5.6 Sol to check every preprint on bioRxiv from January 2020 until September 2026 for acknowledgments of AI use, counting LLM use and specialized AI tool use separately. The OpenAI Decisions API, based on GPT-6 Luna, further classifies LLM use acknowledgments into four use-case categories: research, code and computation, writing, and literature review. Research use includes conceptual contributions such as experimental design, methodological contributions such as data labeling, and analysis, such as statistical analysis. See the full methodology for more information.
Assumptions and limitations
Download this data
bioRxiv preprints using specialized AI tools and acknowledging LLM use, by month
CSV, Updated Oct. 21, 2026
Explore this data
AI use in research
Our estimates of the share of papers acknowledging large language model use in physics, biology, statistics, and math.
Source: Epoch AI · epoch.ai