Artificial intelligence tools for evidence synthesis in the biomedical field: A living rapid review and evidence map

Evidence synthesis (ES) is costly and time-intensive. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly used to automate or semi-automate ES tasks. We conducted a living rapid review of AI tools that automate or semi-automate ES tasks. We searched for published articles and preprints through MEDLINE, Embase, and the Association for Computing Machinery Digital Library from January 1, 2021 through October 15, 2025, supplemented by hand-searching. We included existing reviews to capture evaluations before 2021. Screening was conducted in duplicate at the title/abstract level, with single full-text screening and data extraction verified by a second reviewer. We included 134 studies. Performance varied by task and evaluation approach. Search automation tools showed poor recall (median 17%), although human-in-the-loop approaches improved performance. Tools for identifying randomized controlled trials demonstrated high median recall (98%) and precision (92%). Semi-automated abstract screening tools using active learning reduced screening burden by approximately 50% while maintaining 95% recall. Large language models demonstrated variable accuracy for abstract screening (median 88% recall), full-text screening (median 96% recall), and data extraction (median 63% accuracy). Risk of bias (RoB) assessment tools showed moderate agreement with human reviewers for the Cochrane RoB tool version 1 (median 71%) but performed less well with other RoB tools. AI tools can meaningfully reduce burden in study design identification and abstract screening but perform inconsistently across other evidence synthesis tasks. Tools for search automation, data extraction, and RoB assessment require further development. No existing tool can currently replace human expertise.