Ethical Use of Generative AI and ChatGPT

What is this about?

Tools like ChatGPT are "generative artificial intelligence (AI)" tools that can be used to create text based off of supplied prompts. For instance, you can ask ChatGTP to "write a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs" and it will generate a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. It does this by using data that it has access to and has been trained to interpret. Then it is trained to generate text based on certain patterns. If you ask ChatGPT to "write a 3-page paper discussing the key themes of The Great Gatsby," it generates a very realistic and likely believable paper. However, the problem with this is that the tool is doing the work for you. If you take the output that was generated from the prompt, you are no longer the author. This means that students should not use AI to generate content for their assignments in a manner that compromises originality and authenticity.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism can be defined as “the failure to give attribution to the words, ideas, images, or information of others on papers, projects or any assignment prepared for a course.” When aiming to avoid plagiarism, it is important to keep two key concepts in mind; originality and attribution. To avoid plagiarism, your work must be an original work that you created. Your work should be, in every sense, your work. Referring to sources is appropriate and necessary, but it must be done in the proper format. Citing sources incorrectly does not give sufficient credit to the work of that author. Please take time to review the format required for your assignments to ensure you are citing sources correctly. Missing or improper citation/references is avoidable and can save yourself from being under suspicion for inadvertent plagiarism. 

Language Processing Tool

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has provided access to exciting and advanced language-processing aids, such as ChatGPT. ChatGPT can be very useful for helping students overcome various barriers that may occur when crafting their coursework. ChatGPT can be viewed as a tool that is available to give feedback, inspiration, suggestions, alternatives, etc. However, students are advised to educate themselves on the limits of ChatGPT and the quality of the information it is able to provide. It is also important to understand its ethical use in academia. AI aids like ChatGPT should not be used to generate content that is then submitted for credit in a course. Originality and authenticity are two key academic integrity principles that students are expected to adhere to. A student’s work should be work that was personally authored by that student only. Coursework should not be created by someone or something else. 

Boundaries in Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has provided access to language-processing aids and generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT. These tools are growing in their capabilities and present various academic integrity considerations for students and schools. Mr. Hundley does not ban the use of AI, but there are expectations that using any AI tool, like ChatGPT, be done in alignment with OCA's values. AI can be very useful for helping students overcome various barriers that may occur when crafting their coursework. AI can be viewed as a tool that is available to give feedback, inspiration, suggestions, alternatives, etc. However, students must author and create all work themselves. Originality and authenticity are two key academic integrity principles that students are expected to adhere to at all times. Coursework should not be created by someone or something else. 

Interested in some light reading? Check out this paper from Dr. Bennett, a professor at Liberty University.

Consequences

The consequences for using Generative AI unethically are the same as those for plagiarism because that is, in fact, plagiarism. As stated in the OCA Student Handbook "Plagiarism and cheating are two examples of violations of the Code of Academic Integrity... Consequences for not following the academic code of conduct may include receiving a zero on the assignment, failing the course, disciplinary action including the possibility of suspension and/or expulsion from school."

Conclusion

Students should not use AI to generate content for their assignments in a manner that compromises originality and authenticity. Just as we teach students to paraphrase their sources to avoid plagiarism, the same applies to AI. Copying and pasting from ChatGPT is plagiarism - don't do it! Instead, you should focus on using the generated content as a starting point for your work, just as you would with content from Wikipedia. Here is a great resource to learn how to paraphrase and appropriately cite content generated by AI.