The use of AI technologies like ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize academic research by offering support in writing, editing, and research processes. However, its limitations, such as the potential for bias and inaccuracies in information, as well as plagiarism and ethical concerns, must be considered. This paper presents preliminary insights into the opportunities and challenges of using ChatGPT in academic research. Structurally, it is based on three sections. The first section concerns the impact of ChatGPT on research production and the question of authorship. The second section is related to emerging ethical concerns like fairness, privacy, accountability, and transparency. The third section is dedicated to the future role of researchers and the identification of new metrics to assess the value of their research activities. The methodology used in this study involves a critical study of the perspectives expressed by researchers on LinkedIn and the information gathered during a conversation using ChatGPT. The main conclusion is that AI technologies have the potential to aid the research process and, as such, they should be constructively embraced in the academic environment. Nonetheless, new ethical norms and assessment tools are required to fully capitalize on the positive benefits while mitigating the potential risks.