Impact

The full realisation of Referee's potential would bring about significant transformations in higher education and research. Just as massive open online courses (MOOCs) and advanced AI models like generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) already challenge traditional teaching and tutoring methods, Referee would further democratise the peer review process by decoupling certain aspects and increasing rewards for identifying flaws.

This change would encourage the publication of more innovative, risky, or interdisciplinary papers, as researchers would no longer need to cater to the arbitrary biases of academic journals. The traditional "publish or perish" route to promotion and tenure in academia may be disrupted, with Referee offering deserved recognition to those who contribute to enhancing research quality by spotting weaknesses.

At the organisational level, research institutions could be evaluated based on the reliability of their research output rather than solely on citation counts.

Collectively, these developments would greatly reduce the time required for paper review, which is critical for addressing urgent global challenges like disease and climate change. By fostering a more inclusive, efficient, and quality-focused research ecosystem, Referee holds the potential to revolutionize the way knowledge is created and shared.