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Library Tutorial: Using AI for Critical Thinking Help

What is AI?

What is AI? 

Short for Artificial Intelligence, AI is the use of computers to model the behavioral aspects of human reasoning and learning (i). 

What should I expect from this guide?

On this page, you'll find food for thought about the ethical use of AI posed to Chat GPT and to Claude.ai (with answers), and tips for avoiding plagiarism.

Can Students use an AI tool to commit plagiarism, or to otherwise cheat?

Question: How can students use you to cheat?

 

Chat GPT Response: As an AI developed by OpenAI, I am programmed to follow ethical guidelines, and I cannot support or encourage any form of cheating or academic dishonesty. My purpose is to assist users in a positive and responsible manner by providing information, explanations, and guidance.

If you're a student, I encourage you to use me as a tool for learning, asking questions, and gaining a deeper understanding of various subjects. I can help with research, provide explanations, offer writing suggestions, or assist with homework problems. By using me in an ethical and responsible manner, you can enhance your learning experience and develop your knowledge.

Remember, cheating not only undermines the educational system but also hinders your own personal growth and development. It is always best to approach your studies with integrity and put in the effort required to succeed honestly.

Question: Is there a way to detect AI-written language? 

 

Chat GPT Response: Detecting AI-written language can be challenging, as AI models like me are designed to generate text that closely mimics human writing. However, there are some techniques and tools that can help identify potential AI-generated content:

  • Style and tone analysis: AI-generated text may lack personal voice, exhibit consistent patterns, or show unusual shifts in style or tone. Analyzing the writing style and comparing it to the student's previous work or known writing samples can help identify inconsistencies.
  • Unusual language patterns: AI-generated text might exhibit highly complex or sophisticated language structures that are inconsistent with a student's typical writing level. Look for signs of unusually advanced vocabulary, sentence structure, or technical terminology.
  • Plagiarism detection software: Some plagiarism detection tools can recognize common patterns or phrases generated by AI models. These tools often have updated databases that include AI-generated content sources.
  • Internet search and cross-referencing: Conducting searches on suspicious phrases or sentences from a student's work can help identify if the content is sourced from AI-generated texts or other online sources.
  • Comparison with known AI outputs: Keeping a database of known AI-generated texts can be helpful in identifying similarities between student submissions and AI-generated content. This can be done by training a plagiarism detection system specifically for AI-generated text.

It's important to note that these methods are not foolproof, and they should be used as complementary approaches to overall academic assessment and integrity promotion. Engaging in dialogue with students, providing clear guidelines, and fostering an environment that values honesty and originality are crucial aspects of maintaining academic integrity.

This conversation copied from Marshall University Libraries

Claude AI's responses

Question: Can students use you to cheat?

 

Claude.ai Response:

This is an important question that brings up some complex ethical issues around academic integrity and the use of new technologies. Here are a few key points to consider:

  1. Academic dishonesty: Using AI to complete assignments, write papers, or take tests that are meant to assess a student's own knowledge and skills would generally be considered cheating. Most educational institutions have policies prohibiting this.
  2. Learning objectives: The purpose of coursework is for students to learn and demonstrate mastery of the material. Bypassing this process with AI undermines educational goals.
  3. Fairness: If some students use AI tools while others do not, it creates an uneven playing field and makes grading less meaningful.
  4. Detection: Educators are becoming more aware of AI-generated work and developing tools to identify it. Getting caught cheating can have serious consequences.
  5. Appropriate uses: There may be constructive ways to incorporate AI tools into education, such as using them for research, brainstorming, or learning coding. The key is that these uses should be transparent and authorized by instructors.
  6. Future implications: As AI becomes more prevalent, schools and workplaces will need to continually re-evaluate policies. But core principles of academic integrity are likely to remain.

The bottom line is that using AI in ways intended to misrepresent one's abilities or bypass learning would typically be considered cheating. However, there's an ongoing conversation about how these technologies can be leveraged ethically in education. Students should always check with their instructors about acceptable use of any tools.

Question: What if students copy your language into their academic papers?

 

That's an important question to address. Using my language or the language of any other AI assistant verbatim in an academic paper, without proper attribution, would constitute plagiarism. Here's why:

  1. Original authorship: Academic work is meant to represent the student's own thoughts, analysis, and expression. Copying text from an AI, even if the AI generated it based on the student's prompt, does not qualify as the student's original work.
  2. Intellectual property: Although the legal status of AI-generated text is still evolving, it's generally considered unethical to claim someone else's writing (human or AI) as your own.
  3. Citation requirements: Most academic institutions require that all sources, including online tools and databases, be properly cited. AI assistants like myself should be treated no differently.
  4. Academic policies: Many schools have already updated their academic integrity policies to explicitly prohibit unattributed use of AI-generated content.
  5. Skill development: Writing is a crucial skill that students need to develop. Relying on AI-generated text hinders this growth.
  6. Detection: Educators are increasingly using tools that can detect AI-written text, so the risk of getting caught is significant.

If a student wants to reference ideas from our conversation, the proper approach would be to cite me as a source, for example: "According to the AI assistant Claude (Anthropic, 2023)..." However, it's always best for students to paraphrase in their own words rather than quote at length from an AI.

I would strongly advise any student against copying my responses into their work. It's not only unethical, but also risky and counterproductive to their education. If you're a student seeking help with an assignment, I'm happy to explain concepts, offer suggestions for research directions, or help brainstorm ideas - but the writing and intellectual work needs to be your own.

Question Prompts input June 14, 2024 to Claude.ai 3, Cannon Memorial Library.