AI and Transparency
There is a growing concern within academic and scholarly publishing circles about the use of generative AI. Just as with the use of copy-paste or other technologies, generative AI is neither inherently good nor bad, but it introduces ethical issues into the writing process. This means that greater transparency is needed when authors use AI tools.
Keep in mind that while a wide array of detection tools exists, their accuracy varies. In fact, most have a high rate of false positives and often flag human-written text as AI generated. False positives carry the risk of loss of student trust, confidence and motivation, bad publicity, and potential legal sanctions.
There are currently no generally accepted standards for transparency in the use of AI, but certain practices have been recommended:
- Always acknowledging (citing) that AI was used.
Even if you don't actually include any AI-generated content, you acknowledge that it was utilized. Your acknowledgment should include the name of the AI tool, the prompts you used, and the date you accessed the AI tool.
- Include a short statement in your syllabus.
Be upfront with students about your expectations and discuss what is acceptable and not acceptable. Talk about the importance of academic and professional integrity.
- Consider including AI in assignments.
Some assignments play well to the strengths of AI tools. AI generators excel at organization and structuring information such as creating an outline for a paper, creating catchy titles, or summarizing dense content.
- Consider restructuring assignments to discourage the use of AI
If you don't want students using AI on an assignment, consider changes that will discourage its use. For example, ask students to reference specific course material, especially those housed in Canvas where content is blocked by firewalls. Include questions about their opinions and thoughts about the assignment. Ask them to consider what they learned.
- Familiarize yourself with a few of the main AI tools.
You don't have to become an expert, but you can experience what these resources can do, and get a feel for their limitations and strengths.
