Chat GPT and the Future of the Research Profession

The pace at which ChatGPT has permeated day-to-day work across industries is both exciting and uncomfortable; holding a mirror up to our human abilities?and raising profound questions about the implications for our work and lives. For the first time I’ve been experiencing prickles of fear that my role as a researcher and writer could be replaced. But in writing this piece, I realised my defensive mindset was overlooking the huge opportunities that could be opened up in my career by grasping new AI tools. Adapting to change is uncomfortable, but we should go forward with an open, curious approach to explore the possibilities. It’s time to combat our human response of shying away from the unknown.

I initially started with the question: ‘What value can we add as Knowledge Workers, now that this future has arrived?’ But in flipping it around, I’ve been reflecting on how we can use AI to augment our work and raise the bar on the quality of what we deliver. Early on in my research career, I explored the impact of Future of Work trends on professions: what distinguishes a profession from any other job, and how are professional standards being upheld or challenged as the world of work evolves. While most modern business jobs are not bound by a licence to practise with prescribed standards, there needs to be a foundation of professionalism underpinned by trust to achieve success in the long-term.?

A core element of professionalism is the ability to apply situational judgement and arrive at an informed decision. This involves balancing moral principles with different stakeholder needs, which are often in conflict. For example, you may need to churn out a report as quickly as possible to drive efficiency, while simultaneously honouring your business integrity and meeting client expectations of delivering quality evidence. Since there is often no clear right or wrong answer, emotional intelligence is required to be aware of the conflicting needs and assess the possible alternative courses of action. Outsourcing the work to a bot in the absence of these uniquely human skills removes a level of accountability for maintaining professional standards. The lack of transparency around how the information has been selected and interpreted by AI means the results cannot be trusted or used to make informed decisions.?

But we can work alongside ChatGPT to elevate our professional abilities. By using my robotic intern to provide a starting point on generating ideas or summarising information, I can become a ‘super-researcher’. It will provide me with more time to critically evaluate evidence and develop solutions that serve the interests of clients and the wider community, while enhancing my professional credibility. I can focus my efforts on leveraging my creativity, emotional intelligence, and situational judgement to frame the questions to be asked and interpret results - driving new ways of creating value. There may also be a more important role for strong language skills in crafting inputs for the tool to unlock its potential.?

So, the good news is that my career is not obsolete just yet. Having said that, this article has been written by ChatGPT… (Only joking - although I did use it for inspiration.)