Will ChatGPT undermine ethical values in nursing education, research, and practice?

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence-based chatbot that uses deep learning techniques to generate natural language text (ChatGPT, 2022). While ChatGPT can enhance efficiency, there are growing concerns about its safety and future implications for humanity. On March 29, 2023, industry leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) signed a petition to pause research into AI that is more powerful than the ChatGPT4. According to the petitioners, this action was in response to the uncontrolled “race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one—not even their creators—can understand, predict, or reliably control” (Future of Life Institute, 2023, para. 1). Indeed, AI leaders are concerned about the “significant risk to humanity” that could result from an uncontrolled AI tools that lacks the necessary safety regulations. As nursing researchers in digital health technology and AI, we are concerned not only about the safety implications of ChatGPT, but also about its ability to capture the ethical values, principles, and core tenets that underpin the unique discipline of nursing. Recent editorials and commentaries in some nursing journals have discussed the potential benefits, limitations, and risks of using ChatGPT in nursing education and practice (Archibald Odom-Forren, 2023; Scerri O'Connor & ChatGPT, 2023). Such practice raised serious questions about human and AI authors as the latter do not have accountability as a human author (Stokel-Walker, 2023). This practice of generating content using ChatGPT undermines the moral value of integrity in nursing, which demands nurses to be honest with themselves, their patients, and other healthcare teams. Furthermore, nursing decisions involve moral and value judgments and reliance on ChatGPT in nursing education may produce nurses with less adherence to moral values, little or no sense of trustworthiness, and overconfidence in handling complex cases. While industry experts have called for a pause to AI research, the reality is that the development of AI models will continue to advance and these may well find their way into nursing practice, education, and research. Until robust regulatory mechanisms on AI are developed, nursing must adopt some actionable strategies on ChatGPT that will ensure that the use of the AI tool does not distort the ethical values of nursing practice, education, and research. For instance, nursing educators may consider working with students/learners/trainees to establish clear guidelines and ethical standards that govern the use of AI tools like ChatGPT in nursing education, research, and practice. Additionally, promoting a culture of academic integrity and raising awareness of the ethical implications of AI use can help mitigate against academic dishonesty while preserving integrity and honest nursing practice. To counteract disengaged critical thinking and ensure holistic nursing practice that responds to complex situations, educators should prioritize the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in nursing curricula. This can be achieved by incorporating activities that encourage students to critically analyze and evaluate information, synthesize knowledge from various sources, and apply their understanding. Nursing academics should also emphasize the importance of contextualized and individualized decision-making in nursing by incorporating case studies, simulations, and real-life scenarios that highlight the importance of patients' unique needs and complex circumstances. Developing clear guidelines and promoting academic integrity, fostering critical thinking skills and independent problem solving, and encouraging contextualized and individualized decision-making can help ensure that AI tools like ChatGPT are used responsibly and ethically, ultimately enhancing the quality of nursing care practice, research, and education. Using ChatGPT in nursing poses ethical challenges that could undermine nursing's core values at the same time that integrating AI in nursing research, education, and practice offers potential advancement. As AI tools continue to grow, it is vital for nursing scholars and educators to engage in critically reflective dialogues and philosophical analyses of the implications, ethics, and potential drawbacks associated with using AI in nursing contexts. By critically questioning the underlying assumptions of AI-driven innovations, we can ensure that the evolving role of AI in nursing aligns with the values, principles, and goals traditionally shaping the profession, promoting holistic, person-centered, and ethical healthcare outcomes. Failing to do so, we risk eroding the foundations that make nursing a unique and essential discipline. No new data were generated for this commentary.