Artificial intelligence outperforms experienced plastic surgeons in rhinoplasty visits

In a new study, artificial intelligence in the form of ChatGPT outperformed an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon in answering patients’ pre- and post-operative questions related to nose surgery. ChatGPT earned significantly higher ratings for accuracy, completeness and overall quality, according to the study published in Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine.

Kay Durairaj, MD, and Omer Baker, of Pasadena, Calif. Dario Bertossi, MD, of the University of Verona; Steven Dayan, MD, of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Kian Karimi, MD, from Los Angeles California. Roy Kim, MD, of San Francisco, California. Sam Most, MD, from Stanford University. Enrico Robotti, MD, of Bergamo, Italy. and Frand Rosengaus, MD, of Mexico City, reported that ChatGPT was highly preferred by physician responses, with raters preferring ChatGPT 80.95% of the time. Their findings are presented in the article titled “Artificial Intelligence Versus Expert Plastic Surgeon: Comparative Study Shows ChatGPT “Wins” Rhinoplasty Consultations: Should We Be Worry?”

“Our findings showed that ChatGPT demonstrated a remarkable ability to effectively respond to a wide range of patient questions, including visuals such as non-surgical treatment options and post-operative care instructions,” the researchers said. “In the majority of cases, ChatGPT was performed at or above the level of an expert rhinoplasty surgeon.”

Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine Editor-in-Chief Travis T. Tollefson, MD, MPH, University of California, Davis, states, “Online tools like ChatGPT make Artificial Intelligence (AI) or large language models (LLM) accessible to serve better our patients and the overall medical community, we must remain conscientious in the appropriate use of these technologies.

“It is amazing to read AI-generated content that has been edited in the manner of Hemingway or Dostoyevsky. It remains our responsibility to advise patients about the occasional inaccurate statements made in AI-generated content. We can both recognize that most patients will use artificial intelligence, and we will focus our efforts on maintaining the integrity of our patient education and counseling practices.”