Influence of artificial intelligence tools on the research writing skills of librarians in university libraries in Delta State

This study investigated the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the research writing skills of librarians in university libraries in Delta State. Four research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. A correlational survey design was employed. The population comprised 86 academic librarians from seven public universities in Delta State. The total enumeration sampling technique was adopted. Data were collected using a questionnaire, while its reliability yielded a coefficient of 0.83. Mean, standard deviation and percentages were used to answer the research questions, while regression analysis tested the hypothesis. Findings revealed that librarians possessed moderate research writing skills (mean = 3.19) particularly in citation and topic formulation. Predominantly used AI tools included ChatGPT, Aithor, Grammarly and Turnitin. Librarians demonstrated moderate use of AI tools (mean = 3.14) but showed limited engagement with advanced AI tools for data analysis and literature synthesis. Regression analysis indicated no significant influence of AI tools on librarians' research writing skills (R = 0.010, p = 0.934). The study concluded that while AI tools are moderately used, they do not significantly enhance research writing skills. It is recommended that universities implement structured capacity-building programmes and integrate AI with human-led mentorship for meaningful skill advancement.