Vision for AI-Supported Research Platform

This document is a technical report that presents the vision for the TIB AIssistant, a domain-agnostic human-machine collaborative platform aimed at enhancing scholarly research through AI integration. The report outlines the challenges researchers face in effectively utilizing Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) in their work, including varying domain requirements, limited AI literacy, and the complexity of coordinating tools. It describes the platform's modular components, which include prompt and tool libraries, a shared data store, and a flexible orchestration framework designed to support various research tasks. The report details the conceptual framework, system architecture, and an early prototype implementation that demonstrates the platform's feasibility. The vision emphasizes a collaborative research environment where AI assists rather than automates, allowing researchers to maintain control and critically evaluate AI-generated results throughout the research life cycle. The document also discusses foundational design principles that guide the development of the TIB AIssistant.