SciLib Forum 2026: AI or Human in the Loop? Maintaining Scientific Ownership in the Age of Generative AI

Aims

Generative AI is changing how researchers write, review, evaluate, and communicate science. As AI tools become more capable of synthesizing literature, drafting manuscripts, and shaping research outputs, a fundamental question arises: Who is actually in the loop? Are researchers still the primary authors using AI as an assistant, or are humans increasingly reduced to editing AI-generated science?

This course explores this shifting balance. Participants will examine how to maintain intellectual ownership, critical judgement, transparency, and responsibility, ensuring that AI strengthens rather than replaces human scientific reasoning.

Content

The course consists of three interactive workshop sessions and a concluding panel discussion.
(Note: Registration requires selection of either Workshop 2 or 3).

• Workshop 1: From Data to Insight: Visual Storytelling with and without AI
• Workshop 2: Why conduct a literature review if AI can do it for you? Exploring different aspects of automated review writing.
• Workshop 3: Trust, Verify, or Reject? Calibrating AI Use in Research Workflows
  Keynote Speech: AI as a Thinking Partner: The Extended Mind in Scientific Practice. The keynote explores whether the most important question about AI in science is not simply whether it saves time, but whether it can enlarge scientific thought.
  ** Expert Panel Discussion:** AI or Human in the Loop? Expert exchange on authorship, academic integrity and responsibility for the future of knowledge creation.

Complete program: https://ub.unibas.ch/en/locations/university-medical-library/scilib-forum/

Methods

• Short inputs with tool demonstrations
• Guided hands-on exercises
• Expert Keynote
• Panel discussion with Q&A

Target Group

All Doctoral Candidates & Postdocs

Requirements

Basic familiarity with scientific writing. No prior experience with AI tools is required.

About the Trainer

The course is designed and delivered by a cross-disciplinary team of information specialists, AI researchers, and science communication experts from the University of Basel and partnering institutions.

• Workshop 1: Dr. Robin Segerer, Subject Specialist Psychology, University Library Basel, & invited experts (TBA)
• Workshop 2: Dr. Nuria Plattner, subject specialist natural sciences University Library Basel, Prof. Dr. Christian Appenzeller-Herzog and Dr. Thomas Fürst, medical information specialists, University Medical Library Basel
• Workshop 3: Dr. Robin Segerer, Subject Specialist Psychology, University Library Basel, & invited experts (TBA)
• Keynote: invited expert (TBA)
• Panel Expert Discussion: Researchers from the University of Basel and Zurich

Lead: Monika Wechsler, Head University Medical Library Basel

Workload

September 22, 2026

• 14:30-16:00 Workshop 1

September 23, 2026

• 16:30–18:00 Workshop 2 OR Workshop 3 (choice required upon registration)
• 18:20–20:00 Keynote Speech & Expert Panel Discussion

5 hours course attendance (2 workshops, 1 panel discussion)

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours and course places allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24h period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Course places/places on the waiting list will be confirmed by e-mail. Course registrations can only be canceled before the registration period ends (send an e-mail to grace@unibas.ch). Full course attendance is mandatory. Participants who fail to attend a course without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee of CHF 30. In addition, participants who cancel their course registration at a later point in time, are absent without an excuse or do not attend the entire course will, for reasons of fairness, not be considered for course registration in the following semester and will be removed from other courses offered in the same semester. Please find the detailed regulations on the Transferable Skills Homepage.