AI Policies | Ethical AI Use | AI Proofreading | Humanizing AI Text | AI Limitations
In this blog, we’ll explore some of the limitations of using ChatGPT for academic research and writing. AI tools are now widely used and have become part of everyday life. It’s difficult to completely avoid them, at some point, you are likely to use one. That’s why it’s essential to understand the limitations of ChatGPT, so you know when it’s appropriate to use it and when it’s not.
1. Unreliable and untrustworthy
One thing you will notice is that ChatGPT doesn’t like to admit when it doesn’t know something. It will somehow come up with an answer even if it is not 100% accurate. Let me show you what I mean. For example, let’s say I am trying to find a research topic linking social media and mental health. But here is the catch, I want the topic to be completely new and something no one has ever researched before. Let’s see what ChatGPT gives us.
ChatGPT is suggesting a research topic that investigates the link between social media-driven peer pressure and depressive symptoms among teenagers. It is claiming that this has never been done before. I know for a fact that there are 100s of research papers published on this very topic. In fact, one of our PhD students did her thesis on this exact topic. Clearly, this is not true. The point I am trying to make is do not take anything ChatGPT gives you at face value. It is your responsibility to check the validity of the response before taking serious decisions based on what ChatGPT says.
2. Fabricated data and numbers
You should be very careful when ChatGPT gives you numbers and statistics as part of its response. Sometimes ChatGPT just makes up numbers. It is your job to verify the validity of the numbers before incorporating them in your work. When you are asking for numbers and statistics you must ask ChatGPT to backup the numbers with credible sources. I am going to ask ChatGPT to provide some interesting statistics about social media and include links to credible sources. Let’s see what ChatGPT comes back with.
ChatGPT has provided some numbers along with the sources, which is good. Each number is followed by the source. Now it is your job to visit each link and make sure that these numbers are true before using them in your work.
3. Fake references
Some people use ChatGPT to write literature review. We strongly encourage not to do this, because ChatGPT has a habit of making up references. Let’s say I am conducting research investigating the link between exercise and blood pressure. I am going to ask ChatGPT to write a short literature review about exercise and blood pressure and include 5 references. Let’s see what ChatGPT comes back with.
It has comeback with the literature review and given me 5 references. I am pretty sure some of these references are just fake. Let’s check. Let’s copy one of the links and paste it in a browser and see if it is valid. Clearly, it is not. Let’s search for this reference in Google Scholar. Nothing comes up. So, this reference does not exist, it is completely made up. If you decide to use ChatGPT for a literature review, it is your responsibility to go through each reference, open the link, and check if it is a genuine paper or not.
4. Outdated information
Sometimes ChatGPT might give you outdated information, especially if you’re using the free version. This is because the free version only knows things up to a certain point in time. So, if you’re looking for the latest data, recently published papers, or up-to-date trends, it’s a good idea to double-check with other sources rather than just relying on ChatGPT responses.
If you’re not sure how current ChatGPT’s knowledge is, you can simply ask it. For example, I am going to ask ChatGPT “how current are you”? It is telling me that it is UpToDate as of November 2024. Currently, we are in the month of December, so it is outdated by a few weeks. This means that ChatGPT will not be aware of any new information that was published in the last few weeks. Please keep this in mind if you are using ChatGPT to learn about the very latest things happening around the world, it might be slightly behind.
5. Summary
In conclusion, while ChatGPT is an incredibly powerful tool, but it is not without its limitations. It’s important to treat the responses with caution especially when it comes to facts, statistics, and references. Always verify the information it provides by cross-checking with reliable sources. Use ChatGPT as a starting point, not as the final authority on a topic. Whether you’re exploring new research topics, gathering statistics, or drafting a literature review, remember that the responsibility of checking the accuracy ultimately lies with you.
