OpenAI has introduced Prism, a free tool for writing scientific papers based on GPT-5.2.
Introducing Prism, a free workspace for scientists to write and collaborate on research, powered by GPT-5.2.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) January 27, 2026
Available today to anyone with a ChatGPT personal account: https://t.co/9mTLAbxPdH pic.twitter.com/GJOIipU3hx
The service is available to all registered users. It allows users to format scientific articles and journals in LaTeX, incorporating formulas and diagrams. Additionally, it facilitates literature searches and automatically generates bibliographies.
Developers position Prism as an assistant rather than a replacement for researchers. The company believes the tool will accelerate scientists' work and compares it to Cursor and Windsurf.
“I believe that 2026 will be to AI and science what the previous year was to artificial intelligence and software engineering,” said OpenAI's Vice President of Science, Kevin Vail, in a press release.
Access to the new application is through a web interface.
The company noted a growing interest in scientific computing: ChatGPT processes 8.4 million queries weekly on complex topics in the exact sciences. It is unclear how many of these come from professional researchers.
Neural networks are becoming essential tools for scientists. In mathematics, models have been used to prove several long-standing Erdős problems. Researchers combined existing literature analysis with new approaches.
A paper published in December 2025 indicated that GPT 5.2 Pro helped find new proofs for the central limit theorem. Human involvement was limited to providing prompts and verifying results.
OpenAI highlighted this achievement in a blog post, emphasizing the potential for collaboration between humans and AI.
“In fields with axiomatic theoretical foundations, advanced models can assist in exploring proofs, testing hypotheses, and uncovering connections that would otherwise require significant human effort to discover,” the company noted.
Features of Prism
A key feature of OpenAI's new system is its seamless integration with established standards. Prism works with LaTeX, an open-source system used for formatting and typesetting scientific articles.
The program also leverages the visual capabilities of GPT 5.2, allowing users to create diagrams from drawings on an online whiteboard.
One of its most powerful features is the combination of standard AI capabilities with stricter context management. When working through Prism, the neural network analyzes the entire research project, providing more accurate and relevant responses.
OpenAI expects that the user-friendly interface will attract the scientific community.
“Software engineering has accelerated partly due to amazing models and partly due to deep integration of workflows,” Vail noted.
With Prism, researchers can:
- discuss ideas and test hypotheses with the GPT-5.2 Thinking model;
- edit articles considering the full context of the document, including formulas and structure;
- find relevant literature and refine text by identifying related works;
- analyze and link equations, quotes, and illustrations throughout the text;
- convert equations or diagrams from the whiteboard directly into LaTeX;
- collaborate with co-authors, students, and advisors in real-time;
- make edits directly in the text without copying between windows;
- use voice commands for quick editing.
Prism is built on Crixet, a cloud-based LaTeX platform that OpenAI acquired and upgraded.
In November, Chinese researchers introduced the AI-Newton system, which was able to independently derive key physical laws based on experimental data.