(Abstract) According to Robert K. Merton, organized skepticism is a cornerstone of scientific credibility, that enables knowledge claims to be scrutinized through peer review, replication, and community feedback. But what happens when skepticism is scaled with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools and yet, struggles to remain credible itself? Science has always dealt with challenges but whether current institutions can meaningfully protect organized skepticism under conditions of automation and scale remains an open question. This interactive talk examines how GenAI destabilizes the organizational foundations of skepticism by enabling fake papers, citations, data, automated peer reviews and communication, and large‑scale noise that overwhelms existing evaluative infrastructures. We will discuss how generative AI challenges critical scrutiny and amplifies vulnerabilities within the scholarly ecosystem, and debate whether new norms, infrastructures, or governance models are needed to preserve organized skepticism, or, whether organized skepticism itself must be fundamentally re‑engineered for the GenAI era.

The event is co-hosted by the Center for Open and Responsible Research (BUA), the Robert K Merton Center for Science Studies (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and the QUEST Center for Responsible Research (Charité). 

Please kindly register for the event: https://www.berlin-university-alliance.de/commitments/research-quality/openx/Anmeldung-Sceptizism-GenAI/index.html?ts=1779096040