Generative artificial intelligence in orthopaedic academic writing

Abstract

When Fritz Lang first depicted artificial intelligence (AI) in the 1927 film Metropolis, it is likely he didn’t anticipate how central AI would become to our daily lives nearly 100 years later. From collaborative entities like Data from Star Trek and the Star Wars droids that enhance human capabilities, to uncompromising entities like HAL-9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Mother from the Alien franchise that prioritises their mission objectives over human safety and survival, to outright ominous entities like Terminator’s Skynet who actively seek to eliminate humans, popular culture has reflected humanity’s mix of excitement and apprehension about AI. In many ways, we now find ourselves at a similar crossroads. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are changing the way we approach research and academic writing, harbouring both remarkable opportunities and critical challenges.