Why ChatGPT Made Nature’s 2023 Scientist of the Year

On December 13, the international scientific journal Nature released its 2023 “Nature’s 10” list, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to science and technology.

For the first time, the list featured a large language model, ChatGPT , marking the inaugural inclusion of a non‑human entity.

Nature explained that this acknowledges the impact of AI systems that mimic human language on scientific progress.

ChatGPT has co‑authored scientific papers—often anonymously—by drafting presentations, project outlines, writing code, and sparking research ideas.

While ChatGPT generates responses based on its training data, it and other generative AI tools are reshaping how scientists and professionals work across many fields.

Originally released by OpenAI on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT received a major upgrade in 2023, adding image generation and the ability to assist with mathematics and programming, turning it into a valuable assistant for researchers.

However, generative AI also poses risks: it can aid cheating and plagiarism, potentially contaminating the scientific record, and it sometimes fabricates references, facts, or biased content.

The sheer scale and complexity of large language models make them “black boxes,” and when their code and training data are not open, understanding their behavior becomes extremely difficult. Open‑source LLM initiatives are growing, but they still lag behind large proprietary projects.

Beyond technical concerns, ChatGPT has reignited debates about the limits of artificial intelligence, the nature of human intelligence, and how best to regulate the interaction between the two.

Overall, ChatGPT’s inclusion in Nature’s 10 is seen as well‑deserved.

ChatGPT’s creator becomes a scientist of the year

Although a machine topped the list, the Nature roster also includes one of ChatGPT’s creators, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist and co‑founder.

Sutskever, a leading thinker in generative AI, views OpenAI—backed heavily by Microsoft—as a pathway toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). He has been working on methods to guide and control AI systems that surpass human intelligence.

He has made bold statements about AI, once claiming in 2022 that AI might already be “conscious” and warning that super‑intelligent AGI could become misaligned within a decade, potentially threatening humanity.

AI researcher Andrew Ng praised Sutskever’s determination to pursue a clear direction despite criticism.