Essential questions in earth and geosciences according to large language models

Abstract

Can large language models (LLMs) capture a trustworthy global snapshot of the current issues and top-priority questions facing Earth and Geoscience? This article discusses the 100 most important questions facing Earth and Geosciences in the twenty-first century according to the largest of the LLMs. The study uncovered a discrepancy in responses using the synonymous terms earth sciences and geosciences; as such, users of publicly accessible LLMs must account for this bias and exercise caution in interpretation. Eight fundamental topics irrespective of the query terms earth sciences/geosciences were found: while two of them originate from fundamental research in extraterrestrial geoscience and Earth’s interior, the remaining six address geoscientific questions, important due to the associated societal challenges and environmental issues. The outlined eight fundamental topics strongly resonate with eight Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, in certain cases with not just one.