Early applications of ChatGPT in medical practice, education and research

Editor – ChatGPT is back, after the lifting of the temporary ban in Italy due to data breaches which were detected for ChatGPT also having been accused of not verifying user age. The opinion article by Sedaghat,¹ which tackles a topic that is currently highly pertinent to the medical community and merits discussion, caught my attention. I would like to express my point of view on the rapidly evolving field of AI-driven large language models and in specific ChatGP.

Undoubtedly, one notable advantage of utilising AI tools is the ability to expedite research and publication processes. Consequently, researchers can allocate more time to conducting actual studies rather than solely focusing on writing up the findings. However, considering the current academic tenure system that relies on metrics like the H index, which is based on the number of citations an author receives, if AI-generated content were used extensively for the purpose of publication, it could potentially overwhelm journal editors and lead to an overflow of content in databases such as PubMed. This content would be primarily created by AI with minimal human input. The long-term impact of this trend on future research remains uncertain at this time.

In the article, the author discusses ChatGPT's capability to successfully pass all three stages of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE).¹ This seems obvious as it entails resolving clinical issues by understanding key terms and utilising AI-based reasoning. Moreover, AI does not possess the limitations observed in humans, as it can effortlessly store and retrieve vast amounts of information. Conversely, I believe that ChatGPT could potentially assist educators in developing medical school and residency programme assessments, presenting a safer application of this technology.

Furthermore, In Italy, it is legally required for medical students to defend a thesis before graduating as a physician (MD). However, considering the increasing use of LLM technologies in completing a significant portion of the work, it is worth reconsidering the purpose of writing a dissertation in the future. While various measures can be implemented to minimise the potential for cheating, it is crucial to cultivate a culture of trust and integrity within the educational community to encourage ethical conduct and responsible learning practices.