Consensus AI: A Tool for Evidence-Based Research Search

Consensus AI is a web-based platform designed to help users find and understand answers to scientific questions by summarizing peer-reviewed research. Unlike general-purpose AI models or web search engines, it focuses strictly on academic literature and excludes other content such as blogs, news articles, and personal opinions.

This article outlines its function, how it works, and how it compares to large language models like ChatGPT.

Overview of the Consensus AI Platform

Consensus AI is a scientific research search engine powered by natural language processing. Its goal is to make it easier for users to access evidence-based summaries of research findings, particularly in fields like medicine, psychology, health science, and education.

Instead of listing web pages, it pulls information from academic databases and summarizes what published studies say about a given question.

How Research Queries Are Processed

Consensus AI relies on a dataset of over 200 million peer-reviewed papers (via sources like Semantic Scholar). When a user enters a question, the system:

• Searches relevant academic literature
• Analyzes and compares the conclusions of multiple papers
• Generates a summary of the findings
• Includes citations from the original studies

It does not write its own opinions or make assumptions. It only reflects what the research shows.

How Consensus Measures Agreement Among Studies

One core feature is the Consensus Meter, which displays the level of agreement among the studies it finds. For any scientific question, the meter may indicate:

• Yes – Most studies support the idea
• No – Most studies do not support it
• Possibly – Studies offer mixed or inconclusive results

This allows users to quickly assess whether a scientific consensus exists on the topic.

What Is Consensus GPT?

Consensus GPT is a conversational interface built into the platform. Unlike ChatGPT, it only pulls from peer-reviewed studies and does not rely on general internet content.

Its responses:

• Are they structured as evidence-based summaries
• Contain inline citations
• Avoid speculative or unverifiable information

This makes it more suitable for research-related tasks, but not for creative, general-purpose, or open-ended questions.

Pricing Plans for Consensus AI

Consensus offers a range of pricing plans to suit individuals, teams, and large organizations. Each plan is designed to provide flexibility based on usage and needs. Below are the details for each tier:

1. Free Plan

For those just getting started with Consensus

• Cost: $0/month
• Features:
  • 10 GPT-4 powered Pro Analyses per month
  • 10 Study Snapshots per month
  • 10 Ask Paper messages per month
  • 10 bookmarks and 1 custom list
  • Unlimited searches across over 200 million research papers
  • Unlimited research quality indicators

Ideal for: Beginners who want to explore the platform and its core features.

2. Premium Plan

For users who need unlimited access and advanced features

• Cost: $8.99/month (or $108 billed annually, saving 30%)
• Features:
  • Everything in Free, plus:
  • Unlimited GPT-4 powered Pro Analyses
  • Unlimited Study Snapshots
  • Unlimited Ask Paper messages
  • Unlimited bookmarks
  • Unlimited custom lists
  • Regular feature updates and improvements
• Ideal for: Researchers or professionals requiring more extensive access to features and resources.

3. Teams Plan

For small teams and research organizations

• Cost: $9.99 per seat/month (or $120 billed annually per seat)
• Features:
  • Everything in Premium, plus:
  • Discounts available for up to 200 seats
  • Centralized account management for your team or organization
  • Centralized billing
  • Coming soon: Consensus Search API
• Ideal for: Collaborative teams that need shared access and management features.

4. Enterprise Plan

For universities and large organizations

• Cost: Custom pricing (Contact for details)
• Features:
  • Custom packages designed for large-scale needs
  • Massive discounts for bulk users
  • Integration with your existing research library
  • Manage thousands of users
  • Dedicated customer support
• Ideal for: Large institutions like universities, research centers, or corporate R&D departments.

Distinction Between Consensus GPT and ChatGPT

Consensus is more appropriate for academic or fact-based work. ChatGPT is broader in scope but less reliable for source verification.

Academic and Professional Use Cases

Consensus is suited for:

• Students conducting literature reviews
• Researchers verifying scientific claims
• Medical professionals reviewing evidence for treatment-related questions
• Writers or analysts checking scientific backing for claims in reports or publications

It is not designed for opinion-based, entertainment, or open-ended topics outside scientific literature.

Developer Access and API Integration

Consensus also offers an API for developers to integrate research-based answers into third-party systems or tools. This is used in platforms where validated scientific content is required in real-time.

Limitations to Be Aware Of Before Use

• It cannot analyze documents uploaded by users (e.g., PDFs).
• It does not cover non-scientific topics.
• It cannot generate original content (e.g., essays or narratives).
• Its results depend on available published literature, which may exclude recent or unpublished findings.

Main Takeaways for Potential Users

Consensus AI is a narrow-scope, research-focused tool that extracts and summarizes findings from peer-reviewed scientific literature. It is designed for users who need reliable, evidence-based information, especially in academic, health, and technical fields.

Unlike ChatGPT or web search engines, it does not provide general answers or engage in broad conversation. It focuses only on what published science currently supports or refutes.