Between promise and practice: Exploring AI’s role in research participant communication
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in communication with research participants during the recruitment process, exploring stakeholder perspectives and evaluating ChatGPT’s ability to generate participant informational texts. A mixed-methods design was applied, combining an online survey with semi-structured interviews. The survey, conducted among clinical research professionals and laypersons, investigated perceived suitability, trustworthiness, ethical concerns, and requirements for responsible implementation of AI across use cases such as generating informational texts, visual aids, translations, and chatbot-based interactions. The interviews assessed how experts from diverse disciplines responded to AI-generated versus human-written texts, with particular attention to clarity, empathy, and emotional impact. Survey findings indicated that translation and writing assistance were viewed as the most appropriate and least controversial applications of AI, whereas answering participant questions or assessing eligibility were regarded with caution. AI appears to be rather underused, partly due to regulatory uncertainty and limited trust. Trust in AI was generally lower than trust in humans, especially among professionals. Key ethical concerns included unreliability, data-protection risks, and the potential for manipulation. In the empirical comparison, AI-generated texts were frequently described as clearer, more concise, and more empathetic than human-written materials, yet concerns persisted regarding missing content and oversimplification. Interviewees emphasized the need for strong human oversight, adequate researcher training, and continued involvement of patients in developing participant-facing materials. Maintaining a human role was seen as critical not only for accuracy and accountability, but also to prevent the dehumanization of research communication and preserve communication skills within research teams. Overall, the study highlights both the promise and the ethical complexities of integrating AI into participant communication during recruitment and offers a foundation for future research and policy development.
Source: Research Ethics
Institutions: University of Zurich, University Hospital Zurich
Language: English
Topic: Ethics in Clinical Research
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $500
OpenAlex ID: W7130508354