A Systematic Review of the Limitations and Associated Opportunities of ChatGPT

Abstract

This systematic review explores the limitations and opportunities associated with ChatGPT's application across various fields. Following a rigorous screening process of 485 studies identified through searches in Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and IEEE Xplore databases, 33 high-quality empirical studies were selected for analysis. The review identifies five key limitations: accuracy and reliability concerns, limitations in critical thinking and problem-solving, multifaceted impacts on learning and development, technical constraints related to input and output, and ethical, legal, and privacy concerns. However, the review also highlights five exciting opportunities: educational support and skill development, workflow enhancement, information retrieval, natural language interaction and assistance, and content creation and ideation. While this review provides valuable insights, it also highlights some gaps. Limited transparency in the studies regarding specific ChatGPT versions used hinders generalizability. Additionally, the extent to which these findings can be transferred to more advanced models like ChatGPT-4 remains unclear. By acknowledging both limitations and opportunities, this review offers a foundation for researchers, developers, and practitioners to consider when exploring the potential and responsible application of ChatGPT and similar evolving AI tools.