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ZDNET's key takeaways
- ChatGPT is influencing human speech patterns, research suggests.
- An uptick in specific words, contexts supports the claims.
After shaping word choices, AI could shape word definitions.
Delve, intricate, surpass. Perhaps you've been hearing and seeing these words more often -- ChatGPT may be to blame. People are adopting language from the chatbot's lexicon, according to Florida State University researchers.
The university's Modern Languages and Linguistics, Computer Science, and Mathematics departments collaborated to reveal that the chatbot's most overused words are influencing human speech patterns. The new patterns are a direct result of ChatGPT's widespread adoption and use, as more than half of adults under 30 and almost half of adults ages 30 to 49 have used the service, according to the Pew Research Center.
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"Language is the most powerful medium of communication that humanity has and understanding how AI will affect this medium is fundamentally important and timely," Bryce Anderson, an FSU computer science major on the research team, said in a press release last week.
Other common words included garner, multifaceted, boast, meticulous, and strategically.
The university's research addressed a notable point of discussion: does human language affect ChatGPT's lexicon, since it's trained on existing human writing, or does ChatGPT influence human language due to widespread use?
To answer that question, researchers assembled a dataset of 22.1 million words from unscripted language in conversational science and technology podcasts. Then they analyzed vocabulary trends from before and after ChatGPT's release, focusing on words commonly used by large language models.
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The results show an increase in usage of those words, suggesting a merge between human word choices influenced by the large language model lexicon. Language shifts are typically the result of evolving social, cultural, and technological landscapes. Although ChatGPT falls into the technological category, these shifts have historically presented themselves more gradually.
Still, words catch fire sometimes, but they usually can be traced back to a real-world event. For example, the university's press release for the research cites an uptick in the usage of "Omicron," but that was due to the Greek alphabet letter being used to describe a variant of the COVID-19 virus.
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The university justified linking these words to ChatGPT by pointing out that they are often used in a formal or academic context and uncommon in colloquial, everyday conversation. Researchers also highlighted that the frequently used AI buzzwords increase in popularity, but their synonyms do not.
According to the university's press release on the research, the lack of synonyms suggests not only widespread adoption but also raises concerns about AI shaping human language. After shaping the words we use, AI could shape the way we use them to express social and moral beliefs, according to the study.
Florida State University's study also presented an idea that the research doesn't address: it's imperative to strongly grasp AI as a tool, because it is rapidly influencing the world around you. Using it often for factual or emotional needs without understanding its pitfalls, habits, and sources could leave you vulnerable to misinformation and miscommunication.
"Even the possibility that these models are putting words or thoughts into our minds, that is something we really want to study carefully," said Tom Juzek, assistant professor of computational linguistics and principal investigator, in a video.
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