Hey ChatGPT, Let’s Talk About Sexual Consent

ABSTRACT

Access to sexual health education, such as education on sexual consent, is limited in the US. Artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, provides a potential opportunity to increase access to sexual consent information and education. However, what ChatGPT knows about sexual consent and if this aligns with the current evidence-based literature on sexual consent is unclear. The goal of this research commentary was to explore what ChatGPT knows about sexual consent with a focus on: 1) the definition of consent, 2) how consent could be communicated, and 3) the impact that substances have on consent. We also examined the reliability of ChatGPT’s responses by having three different researchers ask ChatGPT the same set of questions. Across our questions, ChatGPT provided similar and comprehensive responses that discussed key features of consent – that consent is freely given or reversible. ChatGPT provided examples of different verbal and nonverbal cues people can use to communicate and interpret consent and discussed the ways that substances can impact consent communication. Overall, ChatGPT could be a potential resource for educators and young people who seek information about sexual consent; however, we should proceed with caution. ChatGPT is not a replacement for an educator but rather a way to increase access to education.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary Data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2254772.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under [Award Number K01AA028844 (Leone), L30AA028649 (Leone), L30AA031129 (Marcantonio), and K08AA029181 (Haikalis)]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.