On-screen and now IRL: FSU researchers find evidence of ChatGPT buzzwords turning up in everyday speech
Within five days of ChatGPT鈥檚 release in 2022, the artificial intelligence chatbot gained more than a million users. Today, more than half of all adults under age 30 and nearly half of adults ages 30-49 say they鈥檝e used it, according to Pew Research Center.
New research from 糖心vlog鈥檚 , , and is revealing notable evidence that AI buzzwords overused by chat-based large language models aren鈥檛 just suggested on screens anymore 鈥 they鈥檙e frequently showing up in how people actually speak.
, 鈥淢odel Misalignment and Language Change: Traces of AI-Associated Language in Unscripted Spoken English,鈥 is the first peer-reviewed research to analyze whether the conversational human language system is changing in the wake of the widespread adoption of chat-based large language models like ChatGPT. It was accepted into the eighth Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society, hosted by the Association for the Advancement of AI and Association for Computing Machinery, which will be held in October. The study will be published in AIES Proceedings as part of the conference.
鈥淭his research focuses on a central issue in the discourse surrounding AI and language: are these language changes happening because we鈥檙e using a tool and repeating what it suggested or is language changing because AI is influencing the human language system?鈥 said assistant professor of computational linguistics and principal investigator Tom Juzek. 鈥淏y analyzing lexical trends before and after ChatGPT was released in 2022, we found a convergence between human word choices and LLM-associated patterns with AI buzzwords.鈥
While rapid increases in the use of certain words 鈥 like Omicron 鈥 do occur, these increases are typically due to real-world events. Recent large-scale upticks in the use of words like 鈥渄elve鈥 and 鈥渋ntricate鈥 in certain fields, especially education and academic writing, are attributed to the widespread introduction of LLMs with a chat function, like ChatGPT, that overuses those buzzwords.
鈥淭he changes we are seeing in spoken language are pretty remarkable, especially when compared to historical trends,鈥 Juzek said. 鈥淲hat stands out is the breadth of change: so many words are showing notable increases over a relatively short period. Given that these are all words typically overused by AI, it seems plausible to conjecture a link.鈥
Words including 鈥渟urpass,鈥 鈥渂oast,鈥 鈥渕eticulous,鈥 鈥渟trategically,鈥 and 鈥済arner鈥 have also seen considerable increases in usage since the release of ChatGPT. While these words are often used in a formal or academic tone, which makes them less common in unscripted, spoken language, researchers found that nearly three-quarters of these target words showed increased usage with some more than doubling in frequency.
The team, including Bryce Anderson, a rising senior majoring in computer science, and Riley Galpin, a rising junior double-majoring in computer science and pure mathematics, analyzed 22.1 million words from unscripted and spontaneous spoken language including conversational podcasts on science and technology. Post-ChatGPT, researchers noted a measurable increase in the use of AI-associated buzzwords but not their synonymous counterparts. For example, the AI buzzword 鈥渦nderscore鈥 saw considerable increase in usage while its synonym 鈥渁ccentuate鈥 did not. FSU researchers said this suggests we're not just using AI; AI buzzwords are turning up in how people talk, raising concerns about a possible "seep-in effect."
鈥淟anguage is the most powerful medium of communication that humanity has and understanding how AI will affect this medium is fundamentally important and timely,鈥 said Anderson, the paper鈥檚 lead author. 鈥淢y motivation to pursue this research stems from seeing AI push the limits of what鈥檚 possible in major industries and realizing that this influence isn鈥檛 just limited to tool usage 鈥 it can condition societal aspects, including how we use language.鈥
This research builds upon the group鈥檚 previous research into the impact AI has on the domain of written scientific English, which revealed large-scale structural changes AI has had on scientific writing. Galpin presented the research on written language at the 38th International Florida AI Research Society Conference in May, and Anderson will join Juzek in presenting the team鈥檚 new research on spoken language at the AIES Conference in October.
鈥淥ur research highlights many important ethical questions,鈥 Galpin said. 鈥淲ith the ability of LLMs to influence human language comes larger questions about how model biases and misalignment, or differences in behavior in LLMs, may begin to influence human behaviors.鈥
This research was conducted as part of FSU鈥檚 , which provides high-achieving undergraduates an opportunity to explore their research interests alongside a faculty member.
鈥淚 look forward to future research in this area,鈥 Juzek said. 鈥淲hile this is a critical development in understanding AI鈥檚 role in language change, a big open question for future work is whether AI is amplifying conventional patterns of language change or directly driving them.鈥
To learn more about research conducted in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, visit .