New Research Finds ChatGPT Can Enhance Professional Writing Skills
A recent study conducted by researchers at MIT suggests that the development of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT may not only boost the productivity of professional writers but also potentially make certain types of writing jobs obsolete.
The study, published in the journal Science, explores the impact of LLMs on various writing tasks performed by college-educated professionals. The researchers recruited 453 individuals and assigned them occupation-specific writing tasks such as grant writing, marketing, consulting, data analysis, human resources, and management. The participants were given a time frame of 20 to 30 minutes to complete two assignments, which included writing tasks like press releases, emails, and reports. They were incentivized with a base payment of $10 and the opportunity to earn up to $14 in bonus pay for high-quality work.
Half of the participants were allowed to use ChatGPT, a powerful generative writing tool, for their second assignment, while the other half used a commonly used non-LLM writing tool called Overleaf. Surprisingly, 80 percent of the ChatGPT group opted to use the LLM, while less than 5 percent of the control group chose the non-LLM tool.
The results clearly demonstrated the potential of ChatGPT in enhancing writing productivity. The time taken by the ChatGPT group decreased by an impressive 40 percent, with an average reduction of 11 minutes. In contrast, the control group took an average of 27 minutes to complete their tasks. More notably, the quality of work submitted by the ChatGPT group showed an 18 percent improvement compared to the control group. Interestingly, participants who performed poorly in the first task experienced a near 50 percent increase in quality with the help of ChatGPT.
The study authors acknowledged certain limitations, such as the fact that the writing tasks given to ChatGPT did not require much context or factual accuracy, making them somewhat generic. Therefore, more context-dependent writing roles like screenwriting, songwriting, and journalism may not be as directly affected.
However, the researchers did highlight the potential impact on certain roles within advertising and communications, depending on societal acceptance of using ChatGPT for promotional purposes. In such cases, there could be a reduction in employment as fewer workers would be needed to meet the same demand.
The authors also raised concerns about LLMs being used as a means of monitoring and evaluating workers, potentially leading to lower wages. This has already been witnessed in industries like media, with companies utilizing AI to produce low-quality and inaccurate content.
Ultimately, the authors emphasized that whether or not ChatGPT improves individual workers’ quality may not matter to company owners seeking to cut costs and increase profits. However, as consumers increasingly seek out high-quality human-created content, this rush to the bottom may eventually shift towards a resurgence in human-driven content.
The study sheds light on the remarkable potential of ChatGPT and other LLMs in the field of writing, but it is crucial to strike a balance between automation and human creativity. While ChatGPT may enhance productivity, it is essential to consider the implications for the job market and the value that human writers bring to their work.
