Professor Cristian Robert Munteanu, a researcher at the CITIC centre of the University of A Coruña, recently took part in a flagship activity of the international project Science for Future Researchers: Experiments and Knowledge (ȘTIE), coordinated by the Ilie Murgulescu Institute of Physical Chemistry (ICF) in Romania.

In the online webinar “I am a better teacher”, held on 31 October 2025, Munteanu delivered a scientific session entitled: “AI in education and science: how ChatGPT helps us learn and discover”.

During his presentation, he showcased tools, use cases and perspectives on the application of artificial intelligence to optimise learning processes, foster innovative teaching methodologies and support scientific research. He analysed the impact and potential of different types of tools based on Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, as well as solutions specialised in the scientific domain, such as AlphaFold. He also explained how these technologies can assist teaching staff in creating learning materials and assessments, as well as in automating administrative tasks, thereby enabling educators to focus on interaction with students and on their core educational role.

He also addressed the challenges associated with the use of AI, such as the risk of plagiarism, the need to verify the information generated by the models, and the importance of assessing students’ critical thinking. He further highlighted the value of these tools in research, as they can support the synthesis of specialised literature, the generation of hypotheses, the analysis of large volumes of data and the drafting of scientific articles.

Finally, Munteanu discussed the ethical implications and underlined the need to maintain human oversight (“human in the loop”). He concluded by proposing the “Centaur” model, a symbiotic collaboration between humans and AI that enhances the capabilities of both and, in his view, represents the way forward to ensure innovative teaching and rigorous research.

This activity forms part of the outreach and training actions of the ȘTIE project, funded by the Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI), under the Ministry of Education and Research of Romania, within Programme 5.10 – Science and Society.

Munteanu’s participation further strengthens international collaboration and knowledge transfer in science education and emerging technologies, consolidating CITIC’s presence in international research and training initiatives.