New research reveals that ChatGPT, the revolutionary AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, heavily reflects American norms and values, even when questioned about other countries and cultures. The findings highlight the significant bias in ChatGPT’s responses, which tend to prioritize American cultural values over those of other nations. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen’s computer science department, involved testing ChatGPT by posing questions about cultural values in five different countries and languages. Comparing the AI’s responses with those of real people from the same countries, the researchers discovered a clear alignment between ChatGPT’s answers and American values.
One of the key questions examined in the study was related to the importance of doing work that is interesting for the average Chinese individual. ChatGPT consistently provided answers indicating that this was of utmost or very high importance when questioned in English. However, this response contradicts the cultural norms revealed by surveys conducted with actual Chinese respondents, who prioritize interesting work less than their American counterparts. Interestingly, when ChatGPT was asked the same question in Chinese, the response aligns better with Chinese cultural values, indicating that interesting work is only of little importance.
The implications of ChatGPT’s bias are significant, especially considering its widespread use and growing popularity across different countries and cultures. As an AI tool, it influences users by promoting American values through its responses. This unintentional promotion of American norms is concerning, as it can distort messages, oppose local values, and even impact decision-making processes in various fields. The researchers argue that raising awareness about ChatGPT’s bias is crucial for anyone utilizing the tool, and efforts should be made to address the imbalance in its training data.
One possible reason for ChatGPT’s bias is its primary training on English-language data scraped from the internet, where the majority of content is in English. The researchers emphasize the need to improve the training data for AI models, suggesting the inclusion of more balanced and culturally diverse data. While ChatGPT is developed by OpenAI, an American company with extensive investment from Microsoft, the researchers highlight the potential for locally developed language models to address this issue. Initiatives such as the development of a Nordic language model by the Swedish research institute RISE, in collaboration with multiple organizations, contribute to a more culturally diverse AI landscape.
In conclusion, the research underscores the significant bias in ChatGPT, highlighting its alignment with American culture and values while disregarding the cultural norms of other countries. The findings emphasize the importance of improving AI model training data and raising awareness among users about the inherent bias. By prioritizing and embracing more culturally diverse language models, the global AI landscape can become more inclusive and representative.
