These Unknown AI Tools Give PhD Students an Unfair Advantage (Before Everyone Else Finds Them)

Links and Codes: Consensus: https://get.consensus.app/andy25 (25% off with the code: andy25) Paperpal: https://paperpal.com/?linkId=lp_726731&sourceId=andy&tenantId=paperpal (PAP20 - 20% off) Thesify: https://thesify.ai?fpr=andy60 Thesis AI: https://www.thesisai.io/?via=andrew, ANDY20 - 20% off Elicit: https://elicit.com/?via=andrew UndetectableAI: https://undetectable.ai?fpr=andy SciSpace: https://scispace.com/?via=andy-stapletonai (ANDYS40: 40% off the annual plan, ANDYS20: 20% off the monthly plan) Jenni AI: https://jenni.ai/?via=andy-stapleton (Use codes: andy30, ANDY20) Julius AI: https://julius.ai/?via=andrew-stapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off) AnswerThis: https://answerthis.io?ref=andy49 (ANDY25 - 25% off) Anara AI: https://anara.com (ANDY20 - 20 % off) Academia has reached a strange moment where the same AI tools are recommended again and again, often without much reflection on whether they actually fit how research works in practice. I made this video because I spend a lot of time testing new ai tools that most people never hear about, especially ones that are still early, imperfect, and evolving. These tools are not always polished, but they often experiment with ideas that the larger platforms avoid. ▼ ▽ Sign up for my FREE newsletter Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me: https://academiainsider.com/newsletter/ ▼ ▽ MY TOP SELLING COURSE ▼ ▽ ▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: https://academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course What interests me most is how new ai tools for research shape behaviour rather than just speed things up. Some tools reduce anxiety around presenting work, others focus on trust and verification, and some try to support the hardest cognitive tasks in a PhD, like structuring arguments or turning scattered ideas into something coherent. These small shifts matter. They can change how confident you feel when writing, presenting, or defending your work. When people ask me about the best ai tools for research, I rarely give a single answer. Research workflows are personal, discipline-specific, and constantly changing. That’s why I think it’s important to test tools early, give feedback, and understand what they are trying to solve before they become mainstream. This is especially true for tools aimed at ai for research paper writing, citation checking, or synthesis, where accuracy and judgement matter more than speed. I also think we need to talk more openly about responsibility. AI should reduce friction, not replace thinking. The most useful tools I’ve tested are the ones that support decision-making, reflection, and clarity, rather than offering one-click answers. That balance is essential if AI is going to genuinely help researchers rather than create new problems. This video is part of a broader effort to explore new ai tools for research with curiosity and caution. If you’re doing a PhD, starting research, or just trying to work more clearly, I hope it helps you think differently about how AI fits into your own process. ................................................ ▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:29 Citely 03:14 Academiate 06:18 ThesisIt.AI 08:53 LiveWrite.App 10:54 Ascent 13:05 Outro