Development Characteristics and Topic Analysis of International Research on ChatGPT

This study aims to uncover the primary development characteristics and thematic distribution of international research on ChatGPT, thereby facilitating a better understanding of global research trends and application potential in this field. First, using bibliometric methods, this paper examines the distribution characteristics of ChatGPT research across countries, journals, institutions, and authors. Following this, the BERTopic model is applied to identify key research topics, and a strategic coordinate diagram is constructed to analyze the developmental status of each topic. The study reveals that global ChatGPT research is primarily concentrated in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, with the United States and China being particularly prominent in this area. The research outputs span multiple disciplines, including medicine, engineering, education, and information technology, highlighting the broad cross-disciplinary application potential of ChatGPT. Key research institutions, such as the University of California system, Harvard University, and Stanford University, play significant roles in exploring ChatGPT technology. A relatively low density in the author collaboration network suggests that a unified core team has not yet formed in this area. Through BERTopic analysis, 24 major research topics were identified, covering areas such as medical education and natural language processing. These topics highlight ChatGPT’s extensive potential and research value across diverse application scenarios.