ChatGPT is likely reducing opportunity for support, friendship and learned kindness in research

• Published in: Methods in ecology and evolution Vol. 15; no. 10; pp. 1764 - 1766
• Main Authors: Millard, Joseph, Christie, Alec P., Dicks, Lynn V., Isip, Justin E., Johnson, Thomas F., Skinner, Grace, Spake, Rebecca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-10-2024; Wiley
• Subjects: Careers; Chatbots; ChatGPT; Coding; computational research; Computer applications; Early experience; ecology; Group communication; Large language models; large language models (LLMs); mental health; pastoral support; Query processing; Social behavior; Social interactions
• ISSN: 2041-210X; 2041-210X
• DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.14395

Large language models (LLM) have proved to be highly popular since the release of ChatGPT, leading many researchers to explore their potential across multiple fields of scientific research. In a recent Perspective, Cooper et al. (2024) highlight a set of benefits and challenges for the use of LLMs in ecology, emphasising their value to coding in research and education.
While we agree that the ability of LLMs to assist in the coding process is remarkable, researchers should be conscious that this capability is likely changing the lived experience of primarily computational researchers, especially early career ecologists between Masters and Postdoctoral career stages.
In particular, since the release of ChatGPT, the authors of this paper have noticed a marked reduction in the frequency of social interactions emergent from coding and statistics queries. These questions are highly likely still being asked, but now often exclusively to a LLM.
Further research is needed to fully understand the effect of LLMs on the lived‐experience of researchers and students. For primarily computational researchers, ChatGPT is likely reducing emergent opportunity for support, friendship and learned kindness. Group leaders should recognise this and foster deliberate within‐group communication and collaboration.