As artificial intelligence tools accelerate and advance further in science, Nature Opinions were sought on assignments that readers would prefer to keep for themselves. Here’s a snapshot of the responses.

Keep asking questions

As a student involved in AI and consciousness research, the most exciting part is being curious, noticing unexpected connections, and challenging existing assumptions. These moments often arise from conversations with mentors, discussions with colleagues, and personal reflections rather than from an algorithm. — Müleyke Özçakmak Istanbul, Türkiye.

The buck stops here

As a deep-sea scientist, it would be difficult to overlook my inspiration, excitement of discovery, and creativity in designing experiments. Conservation requires a personal connection to the realm of the deep ocean, and I have an ethical responsibility in science. — Elva Escobar Mexico City, Mexico.

Let me clean my data myself

I have a background in biostatistics and enjoy statistical programming. Getting messy data and leaving it clean and presentable is a great pleasure. — Lucy Njoki Njuki Manchester, UK.

AI mistakes take too long to fix

Although the efficiency of AI in writing code makes me green with envy, I still prefer to write my own code. I love this part of my job. Code written by AI can be difficult and time-consuming to debug. — Richard Kunz Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Chats with colleagues are crucial

Scientific progress is not only about finding answers efficiently, but also about exchanging perspectives, challenging assumptions, and developing ideas through conversation. Many of my best research ideas come from spontaneous discussions. —Sheng Bao Hong Kong, China.

If AI does it better, it should

As a physician and healthcare researcher, I must always put the patient’s interest first. So if the AI ​​does some task better than me, it should replace me on that task. That’s scary, but my hope is that AI augments and doesn’t replace my calling to care about others, my human touch, my curiosity-driven research, the fun of co-creating with others, and the moral compass to improve health equity. — Enrique Falceto De Barros Porto Alegre, Brazil.

writing is thinking

I’m not interested in chatbots taking over my writing and proofreading tasks. Writing helps me realize what aspects I still don’t understand. Reviewing the work of others allows me to put on my critical thinking hat. Even writing boring emails helps me remember to work on strong, effective communication skills. —Anna Hodshire Fort Collins, Colorado.

An interview needs one person.

I prefer to handle primary data collection, on-site observation, and in-person interviews myself. This includes using in-depth questionnaires and fieldwork surveys, and talking to people receiving medical treatment. These tasks require empathy, flexible and immediate responses, and professional face-to-face communication. AI cannot access real-world scenarios to gather authentic first-hand materials, so I will never leave this part to algorithms. — Liao Mengchao Beijing, China.

Tackling the graphics is satisfying