Editorial: On the Use of Chatbots in Writing Scientific Manuscripts

Abstract

In recent months there has been a mounting wave of discussion on the ability of large language modules (i.e., Chatbots such as ChatGPT), a recent development in artificial intelligence, to produce meaningful text (for examples of this discussion in the scientific literature see here <https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00191-1> , and here <https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg7879> ). Enthusiasts, or pessimists, have described these programs as the first stages in a process that will eliminate human writers and ultimately take over creative tasks throughout society. More measured views have touted this as a valuable tool for communication, with the potential to present information in ways that produce novel insights. In one famous case <https://wapo.st/3Zfylh3> , an early example (from 2022!) was described by a software engineer as sentient. While much of the output is bland and predictable, these programs can produce nightmarish content <https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html?unlocked_article_code=kH8x8l4f4tETTcqysJf6Rrxx9SQa1rtfyI2C9gJ20MeKjDwvL249VXpMGPi0eSXITU9FT-X9legS6YdWmkuN5V1fYYU9eL1epzhu_CBD1iUssaEZnd_jl_hqxVDqdAlaTz8aejGTPDl7UE_t4-5qlXg4CPe5IYW4tqGp4YNdlQuz3jRcP6Tj_NepWLO3HeQ3Y2uX34WWoyfyhHoYK5B24gYaUILdLMdba3W7ZoJIkdZNOVqVhHaYuWSQQ_tUYOm08fyH0fgCBAyxTRSeS6c5QZTN7964EarMRZvhYZa5YfUFs9XayyF79TLAXgbVJEeZqWscAEWsBDr-Q5psJQ5Si-Nxf2JARTaM9oM&smid=url-share> when stimulated by a novel line of questioning.