PhD Student Builds AI That Turns Months of Research Into Minutes and Ranks Top 5 in ChatGPT Store

In this episode of Lead with AI, Dr. Tamara Nall speaks with Damon Burrow, co-founder of Scholar AI and Duke PhD student, whose research assistant is transforming how scientists access knowledge. Scholar AI ranks among the top 5 GPTs in ChatGPT's store by solving a problem every researcher faces: drowning in data while starving for actionable insights. Burrow shares how his tool goes beyond simple keyword searches, extracting semantic meaning from papers, graphs, and tables to deliver higher-quality results in less time. The breakthrough moment came when Scholar AI instantly solved his own lab challenge - finding the right surfactant for a blood diagnostics chip designed for organ transplant patients - after traditional methods had failed for weeks. The platform now serves hundreds of thousands of researchers monthly, offering both a simple chat interface and an API for developers building specialized scientific tools. Burrow reveals his vision for AI that doesn't just answer questions but proactively identifies research gaps and drives scientific discovery. Listeners can experience Scholar AI immediately through ChatGPT's GPT store or visit scholarai.io to explore the standalone platform and API options.