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Europe PMC

Monthly counts of biology and medicine research naming AI methods, since 2015: bioRxiv and medRxiv preprints, PubMed papers, four laboratory control methods, and AI's share of each corpus.

All three collections grew a lot since 2015, so the counts rise for that reason too — read the share charts instead.

cadence · monthly 33 series updated 21 Oct 2026 europepmc.org ↗
release markers

AI share of biology preprints derived

7.0% −8.9% yr as of Sep 2026
02468201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Preprints that name an AI method ÷ every bioRxiv preprint that month.

Corpus size

The size of each collection. Every share chart divides by one of these three counts.

All bioRxiv preprints

5.0k +5.3% yr as of Sep 2026
01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

All medRxiv preprints

1.5k +7.1% yr as of Sep 2026
05001.0k1.5k2.0k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

All PubMed records

130k −4.9% yr as of Sep 2026
020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100k120k140k160k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

AI methods in biology preprints

These charts count abstracts that name the method. One preprint can name several methods, so never add the charts together.

Any AI method named

354 −4.1% yr as of Sep 2026
0100200300400201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Abstracts that name any of eleven AI terms, from “machine learning” to “AlphaFold”. Each preprint counts once.

"machine learning"

135 −17.7% yr as of Sep 2026
020406080100120140160201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
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"deep learning"

86 −27.7% yr as of Sep 2026
020406080100120201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
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"neural network"

36 −30.8% yr as of Sep 2026
010203040506070201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Large language models

37 +117.6% yr as of Sep 2026
010203040201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

"transformer"

33 +26.9% yr as of Sep 2026
01020304050201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

"foundation model"

23 +187.5% yr as of Sep 2026
051015202530201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Generative models

10 −16.7% yr as of Sep 2026
024681012141618201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
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Structure, design and screening

What researchers use AI for. One preprint can name several of these methods, so never add the charts together.

AlphaFold

35 +40.0% yr as of Sep 2026
010203040201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
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Protein language models

21 +31.3% yr as of Sep 2026
051015202530201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Molecular docking

23 +35.3% yr as of Sep 2026
0510152025201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Protein design

15 −25.0% yr as of Sep 2026
05101520201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Virtual screening

10 +66.7% yr as of Sep 2026
0246810121416201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Control methods

Controls: laboratory methods with no AI in them. They show how much of the growth is only bioRxiv getting bigger.

RNA-seq

97 −3.0% yr as of Sep 2026
020406080100120140201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Mass spectrometry

116 +8.4% yr as of Sep 2026
020406080100120140201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

CRISPR

129 +20.6% yr as of Sep 2026
020406080100120140201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Cryo-EM

55 +25.0% yr as of Sep 2026
010203040506070201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Clinical preprints (medRxiv)

medRxiv opened in June 2019, so these charts start there.

Any AI method named

170 −2.3% yr as of Sep 2026
050100150200201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Abstracts that name any of eleven AI terms, from “machine learning” to “AlphaFold”. Each preprint counts once.

"deep learning"

28 −15.2% yr as of Sep 2026
01020304050201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Large language models

46 +84.0% yr as of Sep 2026
0102030405060201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Published biomedical literature (PubMed)

Any AI method named

6.8k +4.9% yr as of Sep 2026
02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Abstracts that name any of eleven AI terms, from “machine learning” to “AlphaFold”. Each paper counts once.

"artificial intelligence"

2.5k +25.4% yr as of Sep 2026
05001.0k1.5k2.0k2.5k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

"deep learning"

1.4k −13.5% yr as of Sep 2026
05001.0k1.5k2.0k201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

Large language models

416 +59.4% yr as of Sep 2026
0100200300400500201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

ChatGPT

224 −15.5% yr as of Sep 2026
050100150200250300201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv

CRISPR

701 +0.1% yr as of Sep 2026
0200400600800201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
A control: CRISPR is not an AI method. It shows how much of the growth is only PubMed getting bigger.

Share

These shares count abstracts that name a method. A paper that uses AI without naming it does not count.

CRISPR share of biology preprints derived

2.6% +14.7% yr as of Sep 2026
00.511.522.533.5201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
A control. Preprints that name CRISPR ÷ every bioRxiv preprint that month.

AI share of clinical preprints derived

11.0% −8.7% yr as of Sep 2026
0246810121416201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Preprints that name an AI method ÷ every medRxiv preprint that month.

AI share of published biomedicine derived

5.2% +10.1% yr as of Sep 2026
012345201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Copilot GAClaude 3Gemini 2.5 ProGPT-6 Astra
png csv
Papers that name an AI method ÷ every PubMed record that month.

Figures

Europe PMC: latest figure, change, range and coverage of each series
SeriesLatestChangeMinMaxCoverage
All bioRxiv preprints5.0k+5.3% yr885.2kJan 2015 — Sep 2026
All medRxiv preprints1.5k+7.1% yr332.1kJun 2019 — Sep 2026
All PubMed records130k−4.9% yr79.0k165kJan 2015 — Sep 2026
Any AI method named354−4.1% yr0417Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
"machine learning"135−17.7% yr0164Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
"deep learning"86−27.7% yr0119Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
"neural network"36−30.8% yr069Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Large language models37+117.6% yr041Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
"transformer"33+26.9% yr053Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
"foundation model"23+187.5% yr031Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Generative models10−16.7% yr017Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
AlphaFold35+40.0% yr045Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Protein language models21+31.3% yr032Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Molecular docking23+35.3% yr026Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Protein design15−25.0% yr023Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Virtual screening10+66.7% yr016Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
RNA-seq97−3.0% yr3138Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Mass spectrometry116+8.4% yr0138Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
CRISPR129+20.6% yr0146Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Cryo-EM55+25.0% yr067Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
Any AI method named170−2.3% yr2233Jun 2019 — Sep 2026
"deep learning"28−15.2% yr050Jun 2019 — Sep 2026
Large language models46+84.0% yr059Jun 2019 — Sep 2026
Any AI method named6.8k+4.9% yr1688.4kJan 2015 — Sep 2026
"artificial intelligence"2.5k+25.4% yr32.8kJan 2015 — Sep 2026
"deep learning"1.4k−13.5% yr22.2kJan 2015 — Sep 2026
Large language models416+59.4% yr0492Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
ChatGPT224−15.5% yr0316Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
CRISPR701+0.1% yr59842Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
AI share of biology preprints7.0%−8.9% yr0%8.5%Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
CRISPR share of biology preprints2.6%+14.7% yr0%3.3%Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
AI share of clinical preprints11.0%−8.7% yr3.5%15.5%Jun 2019 — Sep 2026
AI share of published biomedicine5.2%+10.1% yr0.2%5.5%Jan 2015 — Sep 2026
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