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We investigate the multilingual and multimodal performance of a large language model-based artificial intelligence (AI) system, GPT-4o, using a diverse set of physics concept inventories spanning multiple languages and subject categories. The inventories, sourced from the PhysPort website, cover classical physics topics such as mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, and thermodynamics, as well as relativity, quantum mechanics, astronomy, mathematics, and laboratory skills. Unlike previous text-only studies, we uploaded the inventories as images to reflect what a student would see on paper, thereby assessing the system's multimodal functionality. Our results indicate variation in performance across subjects, with laboratory skills standing out as the weakest. We also observe differences across languages, with English and European languages showing the strongest performance. Notably, the relative difficulty of an inventory item is largely independent of the language of the survey. When comparing AI results to existing literature on student performance, we find that the AI system outperforms average post-instruction undergraduate students in all subject categories except laboratory skills. Furthermore, the AI performs worse on items requiring visual interpretation of images than on those that are purely text-based. While our exploratory findings show GPT-4o's potential usefulness in physics education, they highlight the critical need for instructors to foster students' ability to critically evaluate AI outputs, adapt curricula thoughtfully in response to AI advancements, and address equity concerns associated with AI integration.
This article has passed review and is accepted to PRPER, but not yet published. The attached documents are provided for data analysis disclosure.
Physical Review Physics Education Research: Volume 21, Issue 2
![]() ![]() by Gerd Kortemeyer, Marina Babayeva, Giulia Polverini, Ralf Widenhorn, and Bor Gregorcic This dataset accompanies the manuscript: "Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial … download 50kb .zip Published: June 7, 2025 ![]() ![]() This document is restricted to Verified Researchers. If you have an account with permission to access this file, please login to download this file. by Gerd Kortemeyer, Marina Babayeva, Giulia Polverini, Ralf Widenhorn, and Bor Gregorcic This dataset accompanies the manuscript: Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial … .zip file (1055781 kb Compressed File) Published: June 7, 2025 Rights: This dataset is confidential and may not be shared either publicly or with collaborators. If a collaborator needs access, please have them create an account on PER-Central or PhysPort and then provide their research credentials to verification@physport.org with the subject line: "Access to Kortemeyer et al. AI & Concept Inventory Compendium". Their account will receive the ability to download this file and they will receive a password that will allow them to open the file.
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=17053">Kortemeyer, G, M. Babayeva, G. Polverini, R. Widenhorn, and B. Gregorcic. "Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 21, no. 2, (2025).</a>
![]() G. Kortemeyer, M. Babayeva, G. Polverini, R. Widenhorn, and B. Gregorcic, , Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 21 (2), (2025), WWW Document, (https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143).
![]() G. Kortemeyer, M. Babayeva, G. Polverini, R. Widenhorn, and B. Gregorcic, Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 21 (2), (2025), <https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143>.
![]() Kortemeyer, G., Babayeva, M., Polverini, G., Widenhorn, R., & Gregorcic, B. (2025). Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res., 21(2). Retrieved July 16, 2025, from https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143
![]() Kortemeyer, G, M. Babayeva, G. Polverini, R. Widenhorn, and B. Gregorcic. "Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 21, no. 2, (2025), https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143 (accessed 16 July 2025).
![]() Kortemeyer, Gerd, Marina Babayeva, Giulia Polverini, Ralf Widenhorn, and Bor Gregorcic. "Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 21.2 (2025). 16 July 2025 <https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143>.
![]() @article{
Author = "Gerd Kortemeyer and Marina Babayeva and Giulia Polverini and Ralf Widenhorn and Bor Gregorcic",
Title = {Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories},
Journal = {Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.},
Volume = {21},
Number = {2},
Year = {2025}
}
![]() %A Gerd Kortemeyer %A Marina Babayeva %A Giulia Polverini %A Ralf Widenhorn %A Bor Gregorcic %T Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 21 %N 2 %D 2025 %U https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143 %O application/zip ![]() %0 Journal Article %A Kortemeyer, Gerd %A Babayeva, Marina %A Polverini, Giulia %A Widenhorn, Ralf %A Gregorcic, Bor %D 2025 %T Multilingual Performance of a Multimodal Artificial Intelligence System on Multisubject Physics Concept Inventories %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 21 %N 2 %U https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.06143 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
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