AI Ethics
Overview
We can all agree that AI has many useful and practical applications. However, we must not overlook the ethical concerns that are associated with using AI technology. Knowledge of the ethical issues surrounding generative AI use, as well as the ethics of using it for coursework, is essential to understand when and how AI can best serve you as a tool and what considerations you can take into account when deciding if it's the best tool for you and your work.
While the AI Writer Toolbox can help you learn more about applications of AI in writing, it's important to remember that faculty will have different policies about the use of AI in the classroom. If you are ever in doubt about acceptable applications of AI tools in a specific class, the best thing to do is ask your instructor.
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What do we mean by "AI Ethics?"
The field of AI ethics is dedicated to understanding how we can mitigate the risks of using AI on a wide scale--risks that include perpetuating biases, exacerbating inequalities, contributing to damaging climate degradation, and threatening human rights, according to UNESCO. AI ethics also includes considerations of personal concerns such as data ownership and copyright issues, as well as protecting our privacy rights.
As Students, Why Should You Care About AI Ethics?
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Academic Integrity
You must always acknowledge and cite information that you did not produce, and that includes AI; not doing so will result in plagiarism, a very serious academic offense. See the Citing AI section to learn about how to credit AI tools when using them.
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Privacy Concerns
Many forms of AI, especially Natural Language Processor (NLP) systems, are trained in-part by the data that is put into them. Always check an AI platform's privacy policy and avoid entering sensitive information about yourself.
Image obtained from Adobe Stock.
The Environment
According to several studies, AI's impact on the environment has been one of the main concerns about AI use.
Further Reading
ADDITIONAL Resources
Flowchart: Should I Use AI?
AI Guide for StudentsConsider the flowchart above if you are having some trouble determining whether or not you want to use AI to help with your process in a course where its use has been approved.
The EVERY Checklist for AI Use
EVERY+framework+.pdfThe EVERY method is an excellent self-checker as you determine whether your use of AI is responsible and transparent.
Blog Post: Ethical Uses of ChatGPT
While we always stress that you should not use generative AI platforms like ChatGPT to write your papers for you, that doesn't mean that it's unethical to use these platforms in other ways. Read more on The Write Attitude to find out about creative and ethical ways to use ChatGPT to supplement your writing process.