Academic publishing has undergone profound transformation in the digital era. What was once a relatively slow, print-centered, and institutionally controlled system has evolved into a complex global ecosystem shaped by digital platforms, open-access movements, data infrastructures, algorithmic visibility, and changing expectations regarding the speed and accessibility of knowledge dissemination. This transformation has expanded opportunities for wider access, interdisciplinar

Author: M. Alston Affiliation: Independent Researcher Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI)—especially large language models (LLMs) and automated text, image, and data tools—is rapidly changing how research is produced, evaluated, and published. This article examines AI’s growing role across the academic research lifecycle and peer review systems, focusing on opportunities (speed, access, error detection) and risks (bias amplification, new forms of misconduct, opacity, and