Can ThesisAI Write a Literature Review From One Prompt?

Transcript

With just one prompt, you can write a whole research paper with this magical AI tool called Thesis AI. I just discovered this a couple of weeks ago, and I have not been blown away by an AI tool in a very long time. And you guys know I try a lot of them. This is the world's first AI tool that uses just one prompt. Just one prompt. You submit your re... Read More

Key Insights

• ThesisAI is an AI tool that builds a full scientific document from one prompt plus uploaded research papers. The output is tailored to the research question and can be edited afterwards, rather than being a generic answer.
• The tool accepts up to 100 PDF reference papers per project. In the demonstration, the reviewer dragged and dropped a folder of 25 papers, and the upload process was described as very easy.
• Before uploading, users choose output styles such as the citation style, for example Harvard. They can also set the citation level to either paper or page, and page level shows where each piece of information came from.
• The prompt can be very short, such as a one-line topic, or more detailed, for example asking for three sections, six chapters, or a literature review. The reviewer kept it simple to test a basic question.
• Generation was faster than the platform's own estimate. The tool said about 30 minutes, but the document was ready in roughly 13 to 14 minutes, producing 86 pages against a promised 50 pages.
• The output can be exported to Overleaf, where it can be edited at the code level or in a visual editor that resembles Microsoft Word. A file outline lets users restructure chapters and subheadings.
• The generated document included a contents page, introduction, chapters with subchapters, appendix, glossary, and a reference list in the correct format. The reviewer said it looked like their own PhD thesis structure.
• The tool does not replace the researcher's own thinking. Users still need to find their papers, identify the gap in the literature, read the sources, and then personalize the text, which also helps avoid being caught by AI detection.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is ThesisAI and how does it work?

ThesisAI is an AI tool that creates a full scientific document from one prompt. You upload your research papers as PDFs, choose your citation options, and describe your topic. The tool then produces a tailored document based on the papers you imported, with a full citation list, which you can export and edit.

Q: How many papers can you upload to ThesisAI?

You can upload up to 100 PDF reference papers to ThesisAI. In the video, the reviewer uploaded 25 papers by dragging and dropping a folder. The upload step is described as really easy, and it happens before you choose the style options and enter your short topic description.

Q: How long does ThesisAI take to write a literature review?

The platform said the wait would be about 30 minutes, but in the reviewer's test it took less than that, roughly 13 to 14 minutes. The result was an 86-page document built from 25 references and one prompt, which was more than the 50 pages the tool had promised.

Q: What citation styles and levels does ThesisAI offer?

Before uploading, you can select the citation style, and the reviewer chose Harvard while noting other options exist. You can also set the citation level to paper or page. Page level includes the page the information came from, which helps if you want to read further, while paper level only references the paper.

Q: How do you edit a ThesisAI document after it is generated?

The output can be exported to Overleaf, where you can edit at the code level or use a visual editor that looks like Microsoft Word. The final document appears on the right and can be downloaded as a PDF. A file outline on the left lets you change chapters and subheadings.

Q: How does ThesisAI compare with ChatGPT for academic writing?

In the reviewer's comparison, ChatGPT gave a general introduction paragraph with no citations and a basic outline, because it cannot look at the user's papers. ThesisAI produced text with references and a gap in the literature. The reviewer also noted that ChatGPT citations can be fake, so they cannot be trusted.

Q: Is it ethical to use ThesisAI to write a research paper?

The reviewer says copying and pasting the output without thinking is not ethical and is not recommended. You should edit the document, check everything, make it sound personal, and add your own references and information. You must still find your papers, identify your literature gap, and read the sources yourself.

Q: Can you collaborate on a ThesisAI document with other people?

Yes. Because the document lives in Overleaf, you can share it with anyone on your team and make them an editor. You can also see changes and edits. The reviewer describes Overleaf as a text editor similar to Microsoft Word, which makes it well suited to collaborating on longer-term writing projects.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video reviews ThesisAI, a tool that generates a long academic document from uploaded research papers and a single prompt. The reviewer uploads 25 PDFs, picks Harvard citations at page level, enters a simple topic about climate change and biodiversity, and waits for the result.

• The finished output was 86 pages, longer than the 50 pages promised, and arrived in about 13 to 14 minutes. It included a contents page, chapters, subchapters, an appendix, a glossary, and references, and it could be exported to Overleaf for editing, sharing, and collaboration.

• The reviewer compares it with ChatGPT using the same question. ChatGPT gave a general introduction and outline with no citations and cannot read the user's papers, while ThesisAI produced referenced text with a literature gap. The reviewer urges proactive research and editing rather than copying and pasting.