Generative artificial intelligence and surgeons

Abstract

ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is regarded as the prime mover of the digital revolution. The first version called GPT-1 was released in 2018 and in just a couple of years, the more recent versions have shown the platform to be exponentially powerful. Outside the medical world, the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is increasingly common in marketing and sales, product and service development, and service operations. AI is also increasingly used in medicine and the application of AI in actual clinical services such as the interpretation of plain chest X-rays or certain pathology settings has opened up new possibilities as well as controversies within the medical profession. Some individuals who have tried ChatGPT consider it to be a slightly more advanced version of a ‘chatbot’, and they have noticed instances where it provides incorrect information or answers. However, a recent cross-sectional study has shown that a chatbot can generate better quality and more empathetic responses to patient questions than real physicians answering questions in an online forum. This editorial is not going to discuss the technical aspects of using ChatGPT or how to write ‘prompts’ that would enhance the ability of ChatGPT to generate something more desirable. Rather, I would like to raise a few possibilities where generative AI could help with surgical training.