ChatGPT increases the productivity of professionals and improves the quality of work

Nielsen, J. (April 2, 2023). ChatGPT Lifts Business Professionals’ Productivity and Improves Work Quality. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/chatgpt-productivity/

ChatGPT, a generative AI tool, has sparked controversy due to concerns about its accuracy and misleading results. However, a recent study conducted by MIT researchers examined the effects of using ChatGPT on the productivity and work quality of business professionals.

The study involved 444 experienced professionals from various fields, such as marketing, grant writing, data analysis, and human resources. Each participant had to write two business documents in their area of expertise, one without AI support and the other using ChatGPT.

The results showed that using ChatGPT significantly reduced task time, with an average of 17 minutes for those who used AI and 27 minutes for those who did not. Additionally, the quality of the documents produced by those who used ChatGPT was rated considerably higher than those who did not have AI support.

The use of ChatGPT also resulted in a shift in the distribution of time for business professionals, with less time spent on generating drafts and more time on polishing the final product. The study suggests that ChatGPT is highly usable for users without prior experience with the tool and can improve productivity and work quality.

The research found that ChatGPT's primary contribution is saving users time in producing preliminary text. The study confirms that the quality of the output is an essential element in evaluating the user interface of AI tools. The greatest effect of using ChatGPT was the increase in productivity, while there was also a positive impact on improving quality.

The study indicates that ChatGPT reduced skill inequalities and helped users who performed poorly in their first task. Although the current research has some weaknesses, it remains a significant improvement compared to the flood of personal opinions and criticisms that have filled social media since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022.

In summary, recent research has discovered that using ChatGPT can significantly improve the productivity and work quality of business professionals. ChatGPT users were able to produce faster and higher-quality deliverables without sacrificing accuracy. The study suggests that ChatGPT can be a useful tool for business professionals, but it is important to note its limitations.