"Can LLMs Generate Novel Research Ideas?"

This is so incredible to see - AI outperforms humans in research ideation novelty🤯

📚 https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.04109

Key Insights from this Paper 💡:

• LLM-generated ideas are judged as more novel than human expert ideas

• AI ideas may be slightly less feasible than human ideas

• LLMs cannot reliably evaluate research ideas yet

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Solution in this Paper 🛠️:

• Recruited 100+ NLP researchers for idea generation and blind review

• Developed an LLM ideation agent with:

- RAG-based paper retrieval

- Overgeneration of ideas (4000 per topic)

- LLM-based idea ranking

• Implemented strict controls:

- Standardized idea format and writing style

- Matched topic distribution between human and AI ideas

• Evaluated ideas on novelty, excitement, feasibility, effectiveness, and overall quality

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Results 📊:

• AI ideas rated significantly more novel than human ideas (p < 0.05)

- Novelty score: 5.64 (AI) vs 4.84 (Human)

• AI ideas slightly less feasible than human ideas (not statistically significant)

- Feasibility score: 6.34 (AI) vs 6.61 (Human)

• Only 5% of AI-generated ideas were non-duplicates

• LLM evaluators showed lower agreement with human reviewers than inter-human agreement

- Best LLM evaluator accuracy: 53.3% vs Human inter-reviewer consistency: 56.1%