Comment by JLO64
7 hours ago
> In a listening session with instructors, we learned that some were considering using AI agents as research assistants instead of hiring undergraduates as UROPs.
If researchers at a well funded institution like MIT are seriously considering replacing hiring undergrads with LLMs, I can just imagine how researchers at schools with less funding are open to it. I never did research as part of my undergrad (something I regret, but I likely wasn’t in the headspace for it back then) but my friends who did view it as a core part of their education and deeply helpful for future opportunities. I really hope schools come up with a policy to help discourage this.
If you know how to use an agent, and I do, you can have do in minutes what would take a undergrad all summer to do.
But undergrad research has always served two roles: getting my work done and the pleasure of giving the best students the chance to go beyond the curriculum, which is designed for the average student.
I think the impact of AI on undergrad research opportunities will be zero. The bigger impact is reduced science funding. I have directed lots of PhD student grant funding to undergrads who deserved it. I don’t see myself doing that in the near future.
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