Large Language Models Streamline Automated Machine Learning for Clinical Studies

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that ChatGPT ADA can autonomously develop and optimize machine learning models for clinical data analysis, often matching or surpassing manually crafted models, thereby democratizing ML in medicine.

Contribution

The paper introduces ChatGPT ADA as a novel tool capable of autonomously performing ML analyses on clinical datasets, bridging the gap between ML developers and practitioners.

Findings

ChatGPT ADA can develop state-of-the-art ML models without specific guidance.

Models created by ChatGPT ADA often outperform manually crafted models.

No significant difference in performance metrics between AI-generated and manual models.

Abstract

A knowledge gap persists between machine learning (ML) developers (e.g., data scientists) and practitioners (e.g., clinicians), hampering the full utilization of ML for clinical data analysis. We investigated the potential of the ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis (ADA), an extension of GPT-4, to bridge this gap and perform ML analyses efficiently. Real-world clinical datasets and study details from large trials across various medical specialties were presented to ChatGPT ADA without specific guidance. ChatGPT ADA autonomously developed state-of-the-art ML models based on the original study's training data to predict clinical outcomes such as cancer development, cancer progression, disease complications, or biomarkers such as pathogenic gene sequences. Following the re-implementation and optimization of the published models, the head-to-head comparison of the ChatGPT ADA-crafted ML models and their respective manually crafted counterparts revealed no significant differences in traditional performance metrics (P>0.071). Strikingly, the ChatGPT ADA-crafted ML models often outperformed their counterparts. In conclusion, ChatGPT ADA offers a promising avenue to democratize ML in medicine by simplifying complex data analyses, yet should enhance, not replace, specialized training and resources, to promote broader applications in medical research and practice.