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The Potential and Concerns of Using AI in Scientific Research: ChatGPT Performance Evaluation

Khlaif ZN 1 , Mousa A 2 , Hattab MK 3 , Itmazi J 4 , Hassan AA 3 , Sanmugam M 5 Show all authors , Ayyoub A 1

Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territory
  • 2 Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, An Najah National University, Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territory
  • 3 Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territory
  • 4 Department of Information Technology, College of Engineering and Information Technology, Palestine Ahliya University, Bethlahem, Occupied Palestinian Territory
  • 5 Centre for Instructional Technology and Multimedia, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
JMIR Med Educ, 2023 Sep 14;9:e47049.
PMID: 37707884 DOI: 10.2196/47049

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) has many applications in various aspects of our daily life, including health, criminal, education, civil, business, and liability law. One aspect of AI that has gained significant attention is natural language processing (NLP), which refers to the ability of computers to understand and generate human language.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the potential for, and concerns of, using AI in scientific research. For this purpose, high-impact research articles were generated by analyzing the quality of reports generated by ChatGPT and assessing the application's impact on the research framework, data analysis, and the literature review. The study also explored concerns around ownership and the integrity of research when using AI-generated text.

METHODS: A total of 4 articles were generated using ChatGPT, and thereafter evaluated by 23 reviewers. The researchers developed an evaluation form to assess the quality of the articles generated. Additionally, 50 abstracts were generated using ChatGPT and their quality was evaluated. The data were subjected to ANOVA and thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data provided by the reviewers.

RESULTS: When using detailed prompts and providing the context of the study, ChatGPT would generate high-quality research that could be published in high-impact journals. However, ChatGPT had a minor impact on developing the research framework and data analysis. The primary area needing improvement was the development of the literature review. Moreover, reviewers expressed concerns around ownership and the integrity of the research when using AI-generated text. Nonetheless, ChatGPT has a strong potential to increase human productivity in research and can be used in academic writing.

CONCLUSIONS: AI-generated text has the potential to improve the quality of high-impact research articles. The findings of this study suggest that decision makers and researchers should focus more on the methodology part of the research, which includes research design, developing research tools, and analyzing data in depth, to draw strong theoretical and practical implications, thereby establishing a revolution in scientific research in the era of AI. The practical implications of this study can be used in different fields such as medical education to deliver materials to develop the basic competencies for both medicine students and faculty members.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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