New Preprint: “Comparing Scientific Abstracts Generated by ChatGPT to Original Abstracts Using an Artificial Intelligence Output Detector, Plagiarism Detector, and Blinded Human Reviewers”
Background
Large language models such as ChatGPT can produce increasingly realistic text, with unknown information on the accuracy and integrity of using these models in scientific writing.
Methods
We gathered ten research abstracts from five high impact factor medical journals (n=50) and asked ChatGPT to generate research abstracts based on their titles and journals. We evaluated the abstracts using an artificial intelligence (AI) output detector, plagiarism detector, and had blinded human reviewers try to distinguish whether abstracts were original or generated.
Results
All ChatGPT-generated abstracts were written clearly but only 8% correctly followed the specific journal’s formatting requirements. Most generated abstracts were detected using the AI output detector, with scores (higher meaning more likely to be generated) of median [interquartile range] of 99.98% [12.73, 99.98] compared with very low probability of AI-generated output in the original abstracts of 0.02% [0.02, 0.09]. The AUROC of the AI output detector was 0.94. Generated abstracts scored very high on originality using the plagiarism detector (100% [100, 100] originality). Generated abstracts had a similar patient cohort size as original abstracts, though the exact numbers were fabricated. When given a mixture of original and general abstracts, blinded human reviewers correctly identified 68% of generated abstracts as being generated by ChatGPT, but incorrectly identified 14% of original abstracts as being generated. Reviewers indicated that it was surprisingly difficult to differentiate between the two, but that the generated abstracts were vaguer and had a formulaic feel to the writing.
Source: 10.1101/2022.12.23.521610
Conclusion ChatGPT writes believable scientific abstracts, though with completely generated data. These are original without any plagiarism detected but are often identifiable using an AI output detector and skeptical human reviewers. Abstract evaluation for journals and medical conferences must adapt policy and practice to maintain rigorous scientific standards; we suggest inclusion of AI output detectors in the editorial process and clear disclosure if these technologies are used. The boundaries of ethical and acceptable use of large language models to help scientific writing remain to be determined.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
