The Rise of the Robots: Navigating Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Evidence Synthesis

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies represents a critical moment for the process of evidence syntheses. AI promises the automation of all aspects of the evidence synthesis process and products are already emerging for researchers to use.

In this workshop we will present a critical overview of the current state of the art of automation for each key stages of evidence synthesis. We will identify opportunities, address risks and challenges, and explore responsible use of AI now and in the future. The workshop will consider evidence synthesis across the evidence pipeline, using contemporary real-world examples, from pre-clinical to clinical research, where AI currently might out- or under-perform human reviewers, how automation technologies might be improved, and considerations for the reporting, reviewing and publishing of evidence syntheses.