The most cited sources by ChatGPT today most often come from sites like [Reddit](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-most-cited-websites-by-ai-models/) or [Quora](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-most-cited-websites-by-ai-models/). While this remains useful for obtaining a quick overview, it also creates an obvious bottleneck: AI has very limited access to academic databases, which are crucial for a thesis or dissertation. This gap is now being filled by a new generation of start-ups such as [Jenni.AI](https://jenni.ai/) and [Scite.AI](https://scite.ai/), which in 2025 gained access to the digital libraries of more than 150 universities worldwide. Of course, not all parts of a thesis rely on academic sources. Think, for example, of paraphrasing or interpreting your own results, or describing the limitations of a research design that have not been established in any previous study. It is precisely in these areas, where the literature falls short and the student must mainly reflect independently, that AI tools become increasingly obvious aids. This is why it seems almost inevitable that in 2025–2026, no thesis will be written without the support of these digital assistants. The form of [distant writing](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393145174_Distant_Writing_Literary_Production_in_the_Age_of_Artificial_Intelligence) is on its way to becoming perhaps the most practiced form of “art.” Syntax, structure, and grammar are automatically checked by tools such as Grammarly or Quillbot. The ideas and prompting, however, remain deeply human and leave space for creativity. Yet, some new applications launched in 2025 place the ethical debate around plagiarism on an entirely different level. For instance, [ThesisAI.io](https://thesisai.io/) has already received more than €100,000 in funding from Microsoft to roll out globally: you provide the number of pages, sources, and a research topic, and within fifteen minutes a 70-page Overleaf document is generated. A practical starting point or a dangerous shortcut? Perhaps this is the exact same shock reaction as when ChatGPT was launched in 2022, when questions around plagiarism and integrity first arose on a massive scale. The big question remains: how will universities handle this new generation of tools, and what is the role of editors? Original academic works will, in my view, increasingly evolve toward a form of meritocracy, where the best thesis will no longer be the one written by the most skillful writer, but by the one who brings the most innovative ideas. Idea generation thus becomes much more significant than producing a smoothly written text, since the latter can already largely be taken care of by digital assistants. This raises the question: why should students still devote an entire semester to a literature review, when AI tools such as [Manus.AI](https://manus.ai) or [Genspark.AI](https://genspark.ai) can structure this in just days, or even hours? It seems much more logical to devote this time to a practical research setup, something that is not “LLM’able”: immediately starting to collect a unique sample, or building a prototype in the lab, whether that is a small hydrogen fusion reactor or an alternative interview process. In this vision, writing becomes a final phase, only tackled in May or June. Lab-only or practice-only theses — already common in master’s programs at the Sint-Lucas School of Arts — seem to me a very realistic choice for many more faculties in the near future. **So what is the role of editors in this rapidly changing landscape?** Despite the power of AI, there remains a whole series of technicalities where students need help and where the reliability of digital tools is still too low: think of correctly analyzing data from a Qualtrics/SPSS export or performing proper statistical analyses. There is also the human dimension: creating a safe space where students and researchers find the motivation to carry their thesis through to the end. Distant writing may be efficient, but it can also be lonely. The best thesis editors therefore not only know the AI tools and their capabilities, but they also understand that emotional intelligence plays an equally crucial role in turning a thesis into a success. With [Thesispro.be](https://www.thesispro.be), we aim to offer exactly that: a safe environment where both students and editors experience these developments on the front line and emerge stronger together. I am already very excited about all these new developments! Laurent

Why no thesis/dissertation is written without AI in 2025–2026.

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