German university students conducted a study and found out that using ChatGPT for scientific research not only makes the process easier, but also gives off interesting results. However, the researchers found out that using AI models or ChatGPT can decrease your cognitive load and stress. Many people use traditional search for research purposes but the advantage of using ChatGPT is that it gives direct responses and does not make you go to different sources.
The study was conducted among 91 university students of ages no more than 22. Most of them were females and all respondents were randomly divided into two groups. One group was asked to use ChatGPT for their scientific research while the other group was asked to use Google search for their scientific research. The students were asked to research about real world problem which was simple: A fictional character Paul was asking if using a mineral sunscreen which contains mineral nanoparticles, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide was safe even if it had benefits to skin. The students were given 20 minutes for their research and they would have to provide a written recommendation to Paul.
Students were also given a questionnaire to assess their cognitive load during this task. Students' knowledge of nanotechnology was also found out. The results of the survey were not so surprising. Students who used ChatGPT had lower cognitive load than students who used Google. It was because ChatGPT used easy and direct language while students had to make sense of Google results.
On the other hand, ChatGPT’s justifications were not so good while Google search had more extensive and detailed justifications. This shows that even though ChatGPT can make tasks easier, it cannot evaluate a problem in depth. The recommendations by students who used ChatGPT and Google showed diverse recommendations from different perspectives and critically evaluated them. Researchers thought that recommendations by ChatGPT would be more uniform but that wasn't the case.
This shows that ChatGPT and Google search are both helpful when it comes to scientific research but the quality of research is better on Google search as compared to ChatGPT.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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The study was conducted among 91 university students of ages no more than 22. Most of them were females and all respondents were randomly divided into two groups. One group was asked to use ChatGPT for their scientific research while the other group was asked to use Google search for their scientific research. The students were asked to research about real world problem which was simple: A fictional character Paul was asking if using a mineral sunscreen which contains mineral nanoparticles, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide was safe even if it had benefits to skin. The students were given 20 minutes for their research and they would have to provide a written recommendation to Paul.
Students were also given a questionnaire to assess their cognitive load during this task. Students' knowledge of nanotechnology was also found out. The results of the survey were not so surprising. Students who used ChatGPT had lower cognitive load than students who used Google. It was because ChatGPT used easy and direct language while students had to make sense of Google results.
On the other hand, ChatGPT’s justifications were not so good while Google search had more extensive and detailed justifications. This shows that even though ChatGPT can make tasks easier, it cannot evaluate a problem in depth. The recommendations by students who used ChatGPT and Google showed diverse recommendations from different perspectives and critically evaluated them. Researchers thought that recommendations by ChatGPT would be more uniform but that wasn't the case.
This shows that ChatGPT and Google search are both helpful when it comes to scientific research but the quality of research is better on Google search as compared to ChatGPT.
Read next: A New Research Shows Many Browser Extensions Compromise User Data and Privacy
