Artificial intelligence (AI) is a transformative technology with many benefits, but also risks when applied to healthcare and cardiac surgery in particular. Surgeons must be aware of AI and its application through generative pre-trained transformers (GPT/ChatGPT) to fully understand what this offers to clinical care, decision making, training, research and education. Clinicians must appreciate that the advantages and potential for transformative change in practice is balanced by risks typified by validation, ethical challenges and medicolegal concerns. ChatGPT should be seen as a tool to support and enhance the skills of surgeons, rather than a replacement for their experience and judgment. Human oversight and intervention will always be necessary to ensure patient safety and to make complex decisions that may require a refined understanding of individual patient circumstances.