Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 1;79(9):glae184.
doi: 10.1093/gerona/glae184.

ChatGPT's Role in Gerontology Research

Christopher N Kaufmann  1   2 , Chen Bai  2 , Brianne Borgia  3 , Christiaan Leeuwenburgh  1   4 , Yi Lin  1   4 , Mamoun T Mardini  1   2 , Taylor McElroy  1   4 , Clayton W Swanson  1   5   6 , Keon D Wimberly  1   4 , Ruben Zapata  1   2 , Rola S Zeidan  1   4 , Todd M Manini  1   2
Affiliations

ChatGPT's Role in Gerontology Research

Christopher N Kaufmann et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) and other ChatBots have emerged as tools for interacting with information in manners resembling natural human speech. Consequently, the technology is used across various disciplines, including business, education, and even in biomedical sciences. There is a need to better understand how ChatGPT can be used to advance gerontology research. Therefore, we evaluated ChatGPT responses to questions on specific topics in gerontology research, and brainstormed recommendations for its use in the field.

Methods: We conducted semistructured brainstorming sessions to identify uses of ChatGPT in gerontology research. We divided a team of multidisciplinary researchers into 4 topical groups: (a) gero-clinical science, (b) basic geroscience, (c) informatics as it relates to electronic health records, and (d) gero-technology. Each group prompted ChatGPT on a theory-, methods-, and interpretation-based question and rated responses for accuracy and completeness based on standardized scales.

Results: ChatGPT responses were rated by all groups as generally accurate. However, the completeness of responses was rated lower, except by members of the informatics group, who rated responses as highly comprehensive.

Conclusions: ChatGPT accurately depicts some major concepts in gerontological research. However, researchers have an important role in critically appraising the completeness of its responses. Having a single generalized resource like ChatGPT may help summarize the preponderance of evidence in the field to identify gaps in knowledge and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Keywords: ChatGPT; Gerontology; Multidisciplinary; Prompt engineering.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Research scheme.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cascella M, Montomoli J, Bellini V, Bignami E.. Evaluating the feasibility of ChatGPT in healthcare: an analysis of multiple clinical and research scenarios. J Med Syst. 2023;47(1):33. 10.1007/s10916-023-01925-4 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Johnson SB, King AJ, Warner EL, Aneja S, Kann BH, Bylund CL.. Using ChatGPT to evaluate cancer myths and misconceptions: artificial intelligence and cancer information. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2023;7(2):pkad015. 10.1093/jncics/pkad015 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Duong D, Solomon BD.. Analysis of large-language model versus human performance for genetics questions. Eur J Hum Genet. 2024;32:466–468. 10.1038/s41431-023-01396-8 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ayers JW, Poliak A, Dredze M, et al. Comparing physician and artificial intelligence chatbot responses to patient questions posted to a public social media forum. JAMA Intern Med. 2023;183(6):589–596. 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1838 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Giray L. Prompt engineering with ChatGPT: a guide for academic writers. Ann Biomed Eng. 2023;51:2629–2633. 10.1007/s10439-023-03272-4 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types