We Need to Chat: Discussing the Ramifications of ChatGPT for Methodological Research

Abstract

With the creation of OpenAI's Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in November 2022, discussions have begun regarding the impact of this technology across contexts. Described by some as “the best artificial intelligence chatbot ever released to the general public” (Roose, 2022), this language and dialogue AI model can interact with and generate unique information using prompts from users. One such context gaining increasing attention is the potential for utilizing ChatGPT for research purposes. While the use of innovative new approaches such as utilizing natural language processing has begun to attract attention in organizational research (e.g., Lê & Schmid, 2022; Pandey & Pandey, 2019; Speer, 2021), the potential of these technologies is yet to be determined. Most relevant to the aim of this symposium are early discussions surrounding its use in the methodological steps of the research process, as well as in conceptual-operational alignment. The opportunities for technologies like ChatGPT to reshape the research landscape abound, particularly as a tool to influence methodological and analytical decision-making. Exploratory tests confirm that ChatGPT is able to debug syntax, generate new syntax and instructions for analyzing data in various analytical software languages (e.g., STATA, SPSS, R, Python, MPLUS, SAS), mine text (Hickman et al., 2022), aid in qualitative analyses and reviews (Antons, Breidbach, Joshi, & Salge, 2023), and apply learned concepts in unique ways (Pavlik, 2023). While its potential is becoming increasingly documented, so too are the concerns surrounding its unchecked usage (Stokel-Walker, 2022; Zhang, Ding, & Jing, 2022). How might blind usage of such a resource present ethical concerns for the research process? Will outsourcing the work of making thoughtful decisions about how to analyze data unintentionally hinder the average researcher's understanding? Should researchers be quick to adopt resources like ChatGPT while they are still being developed? What exciting opportunities do ChatGPT and similar technologies present for researchers and methodologies? These and other intriguing questions will be discussed by our panel of experts including Drs. Larry Williams, Paul Bliese, Lisa Schurer Lambert, Bob Vandenberg, Justin DeSimone, and Betsy Albritton.

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