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AShared byAndy Stapleton
From video: I Tested Illustrae: Can AI Actually Design Scientific Figures?
Published: March 24, 2026

Video Description

Illustrae: https://illustrae.co/ Links and Codes: Undetectable AI: https://undetectable.ai?fpr=andy Consensus: https://get.consensus.app/andy25 (25% off with the code: andy25) Paperpal: https://paperpal.com/?linkId=lp_726731&sourceId=andy&tenantId=paperpal (PAP20 - 20% off) Thesify: https://thesify.ai?fpr=andy60 Thesis AI: https://www.thesisai.io/?via=andrew, ANDY20 - 20% off Elicit: https://elicit.com/?via=andrew SciSpace: https://scispace.com/?via=andy-stapletonai (ANDYS40: 40% off the annual plan, ANDYS20: 20% off the monthly plan) Jenni AI: https://jenni.ai/?via=andy-stapleton (Use codes: andy30, ANDY20) Julius AI: https://julius.ai/?via=andrew-stapleton (ANDY20 — offers 20% off) In my experience, one of the more difficult parts of academic work is not necessarily the research itself, but how that research is communicated visually. Many researchers, including myself, often rely on basic tools that were never designed for high-quality scientific illustration. This can make the process slow, repetitive, and sometimes frustrating, especially when trying to produce a clear graphical abstract that accurately represents complex ideas. ▼ ▽ Sign up for my FREE newsletter Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me: https://academiainsider.com/newsletter/ ▼ ▽ MY TOP SELLING COURSE ▼ ▽ ▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: https://academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course Recently, I have been exploring a range of ai tools for research, and I have noticed that while many of them perform well for writing and summarising, they tend to struggle when it comes to visual outputs. This is where tools like illustrae ai begin to shift the conversation. It appears to offer a more structured approach to scientific illustration, where the system attempts to interpret not just the text, but the underlying meaning of the research. What I find particularly interesting is how this changes the role of the researcher. Instead of manually constructing every element of a figure, I am able to focus more on describing what I want to communicate. The tool then generates visual components that can be refined and adjusted. This does not remove the need for critical thinking, but it does change where that effort is applied. In some ways, it feels less like design work and more like directing or guiding the output. There are still limitations, and I think it is important to approach any ai tool for design with a degree of caution. Not every generated image will be accurate, and interpretation can vary depending on how the input is written. However, when used thoughtfully, tools like this may support faster iteration and experimentation, particularly when creating ai tools for infographics or preparing figures for presentations. More broadly, this sits within a larger shift toward ai for research, where different tools are beginning to fill very specific gaps in the academic workflow. While no single tool does everything perfectly, combining them in a deliberate way may allow researchers to work more efficiently, especially when communicating complex ideas visually. ................................................ ▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:59 Brainstorm 01:55 Extracting from Papers 02:25 Canvas Elements 03:55 Playing with Elements 05:05 The Result 09:39 Using Shapes 11:08 Exporting 12:52 Photo Upload 13:30 Generated Image 14:43 Creating Posters 16:17 Upgrade Plans