Guides
ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in higher education: Quick Start Guide
17 Tips to Take Your ChatGPT Prompts to the Next Level
Addressing ChatGPT in the Library’s Academic Integrity Tutorial from the Claremont Colleges Library
Following are some things to consider as you use GenAI-based tools, and how it may affect your usage of them in your day-to-day life:
GenAI is not sentient:
GenAI models or Large Language models (LLMs) might appear to possess sentience or self-awareness as a human would, but are simply systems trained on large and biased datasets. LLMs are designed to output the most likely, or most common results possible based on their data, and will invariably tend to suppress less common or marginalized information.
GenAI is biased:
GenAI models carry implicit biases in them that make them unsuitable for use in cases of ethical deliberation and decision, and should not be used in those circumstances. Furthermore, this data is from the past, which results in a loss of context for current social changes.
GenAI can mislead:
GenAI in its current stage will tend to ‘hallucinate’ or make up random data that is not true. Models have no real sense of what is true or false. These models are built to output what is most likely in a verbose manner, even if there might not be enough real information to back it up.
GenAI prefers English:
LLM models are currently heavily biased toward Standard American English. This means that writing styles and dialects adopted by other cultures and ethnic groups such in cases of African American or Indigenous English are at risk of being penalized for a privileged White-dominated form of writing instead.
With that in mind, here are some basic guidelines that can help you in how you use GenAI in academic use:
Use HMC offerings that ensure your data privacy and security.
Talk to your professor about how and where GenAI-based tools can be used in your course. Seek clarity on issues of syllabus wording, citation, and methods of use.
Do not cite information from GenAI as the truth for the information it presents. Always check the citations that it provides, and research them yourself. You can also reach out to the Librarian for assistance in your research.
GenAI-based tools are just that, tools that you wield. Your prompts can determine the quality of information that you get and should assist you in your academic growth. They do not and should not replace your ability for critical thinking and problem-solving as an individual.
If you have concerns about how GenAI is being used or limited in a course, or have disputes with the course instructor over the usage of these tools, we recommend first contacting your department, as they may be able to assist you in accessing training material specifically curated for your area.
As GenAI poses to be a revolutionary tool that can change the academic space and beyond, it is important for you to understand why and how you intend to use these new, powerful tools. These are a few questions to consider and note that the answers to these questions will vary for each person.
Is using a GenAI-based tool helping me learn more and think better?
Is using a GenAI-based tool enabling or hindering my mastery of the stated course objectives?
Is the content I generate accurate and verifiable? Is it free of biases that might harm other groups of society?
How will I treat content that might have been generated using a GenAI-based tool?
Is using a GenAI-based tool equitable to my peers in my course?
How can my actions in using a GenAI-based tool lead to the greater good of society?
Understand that your usage of GenAI-based tools can give you the means to better not just yourself, but also society as a whole, and there is an ethical responsibility towards doing so.