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Coffee Talk #3 is part of RIAT’s monthly academic gathering series. This session focuses on discussing the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic research in a careful, appropriate, and responsible manner.
Coffee Talk Series
The Coffee Talk Series is organized monthly by RIAT as a small academic coffee gathering. It serves as a modest and informal space where individuals interested in research can meet, exchange ideas, and share practical experiences
The spirit of Coffee Talk is open and conversational. Academic topics are not presented in a rigid or highly structured format; rather, discussions emerge from real concerns, challenges, and changes that researchers encounter in their work. Each session is therefore dialogical in nature, encouraging participants to ask questions, express perspectives, and learn from one another.
AI in Academic Research: Opportunities and Points for Reflection
In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has increasingly entered academic discourse. Various AI tools are capable of supporting researchers in tasks such as literature searching, content summarization, structural outlining, and language refinement.
In the context of rapidly growing scholarly output, these tools may help improve efficiency and facilitate better organization of research workflows. However, the use of AI also raises important questions that warrant careful consideration:
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To what extent should AI support the research process?
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How can we distinguish between technical assistance and the substitution of scholarly thinking?
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What implications does AI use have for transparency and academic integrity?
These questions do not seek to reject technological advancement, but rather to encourage researchers to approach AI thoughtfully and responsibly.
Key Themes of Coffee Talk #3
Under the theme “AI as a Research Assistant: Use or Use with Caution? Selecting the Right Tools, Applying Them Effectively, and Upholding Academic Integrity,” the session will focus on three main areas:
1. Selecting Appropriate Tools
An introduction to several commonly used AI tools in research, followed by discussion on how to choose tools that align with specific research needs rather than adopting them uncritically based on trends.
2. Utilizing AI as an Academic Assistant
Exploring ways to leverage AI as a supportive instrument in literature searching, information organization, and manuscript refinement, while maintaining the researcher’s central and active role throughout the process.
3. Upholding Ethical and Academic Responsibility
Discussing considerations related to transparency in AI usage, authorial responsibility for research content, and how to employ AI tools without compromising the integrity and intellectual value of scholarly work.
The session does not aim to offer definitive conclusions. Instead, it provides a platform for reflection and shared perspectives.
Maintaining the Central Role of the Researcher
Regardless of technological advancement, careful reading, analytical reasoning, and scholarly argumentation remain foundational to research. AI may assist with certain technical tasks, but it does not replace critical thinking or academic responsibility.
Coffee Talk #3 is therefore designed as a small academic gathering where participants can engage in thoughtful discussion about a topic that is increasingly relevant in research practice, yet requires balanced and reflective consideration.
Program Information
Coffee Talk #3
AI as a Research Assistant: Use or Use with Caution? Selecting the Right Tools, Applying Them Effectively, and Upholding Academic Integrity
Part of the RIAT Coffee Talk Series (held monthly)
Time: 9:00 – 11:00, March 8, 2026
Venue: The Xi Coffee, 14E Dang Van Ngu Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City
Capacity: 15 participants
Support fee: 100,000 VND (coffee and tea-break included)
Registration will close automatically once capacity is reached.
