Unveiling the Values of ChatGPT : An Explorative Study on Human Values in AI Systems

Abstract: Recent technological breakthroughs in natural language processing and artificial intelligence (AI) and the subsequent release of OpenAIs generative AI system, ChatGPT, have warranted much attention from researchers and the general public alike. Some with praise, foreseeing a brighter future for all, and some predicting the end of humanity. As AI agents become increasingly complex and gain the ability to deal with tradeoffs and become more autonomous, the problem of embedding human values into these AI agents becomes more pressing. Embedding human values is a crucial part of the development of aligned AI systems that act in accordance with human intents and desires. The black-box nature of large language models (LLMs) offers little insight into the mechanics of the AI agents' decision-making processes. For this reason, it is of great interest to explore what values an LLM might hold. This explorative study lets the most popular LLM chatbot today, ChatGPT answer a set of questions focusing on human values. The questions were adopted from the World Value Survey (WVS) and relate to current global values around different subjects, such as same-sex marriage, corruption and raising children. The results were compared to the latest data set (from 2022) from the WVS to show how close or far the values of ChatGPT are to the respondents' values across countries. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of the challenges and implications of developing AI systems that align with human values. Which is crucial in ensuring the systems trustworthiness and beneficial impact on society. The findings of this explorative study support that ChatGPT's values are influenced by the values prevalent in developed democracies, with a leaning towards progressive/liberal views. Results could also imply that ChatGPT may propose a neutral attitude towards questioning established systems and institutions, and emphasizing individual rights.