Geologists and scientific communities are expressing apprehension over the development of the GeoGPT chatbot, backed by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), amid concerns of potential Chinese censorship and bias.
GeoGPT, a project under the Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE) initiative, aims to aid geoscientists worldwide, particularly in developing regions, by leveraging vast datasets to enhance understanding of earth sciences. Funded significantly by Chinese sources since 2019, the initiative is part of broader efforts to foster international scientific collaboration aligned with UN sustainable development goals.
Criticism arose following tests of GeoGPT involving Qwen, a large language model from Chinese tech giant Alibaba. Prof. Paul Cleverley highlighted issues of transparency, potential state censorship, and copyright concerns in an article published by the Geological Society's magazine, Geoscientist.
In response, DDE representatives emphasized that GeoGPT also integrates Meta's Llama and asserted that during testing, they did not encounter state censorship issues. They underscored the system's foundation solely in geoscience information, dismissing claims of bias.
However, concerns persist among experts. David Giles, a professional geoscientist, pointed out the complexities of geoscience data, noting that sensitive information, such as valuable mineral deposits, could be selectively filtered. He cautioned about the strategic and economic implications if GeoGPT were to inadvertently suppress critical geological insights.
Dr. Natarajan Ishwaran, overseeing international relations for DDE, reassured independence in GeoGPT's development phase, affirming it remains unaffected by external influences, including state interference.
As the project evolves, scrutiny continues regarding the integrity and neutrality of GeoGPT's data processing, reflecting broader debates on the ethical dimensions of AI in sensitive scientific domains.
For updates on GeoGPT's development and its implications for global geoscience research, ongoing monitoring of regulatory and ethical discussions is crucial.
