How can you use AI in your studies appropriately?

First and foremost, if you want to use AI tools in your work, make sure that your instructor has approved it, and make sure that you only use it in the ways they specifically approve.  If you are allowed to use AI, make sure to cite it properly.

Generative AI can be a helpful tool for studying.  For example, you can ask ChatGPT to generate quiz-like questions or explain concepts in simpler language.  However, you cannot upload material written by your instructors to ‘teach’ the AI what you want without the permission of those instructors.  If you generate explanations or summaries, it is your responsibility to make sure that the generative AI accurately explains the topic.

You may also be able to generate content for the express purpose of discussing the material critically, for example in an essay on poetry or a discussion of a particular artist’s style.  However, this use again should only be done with the knowledge and permission of your instructor, and it is critical that you cite the source properly.

Using AI tools without permission or citation is an academic violation.  It can fall under the categories of cheating, plagiarism, and copyright infringement, all of which have serious academic and possibly legal consequences.

There are a few things to consider when looking at AI-generated content.  Firstly, generative AI can often create content that seems plausible or trustworthy, but you should always double-check for factual accuracy.  Since the AI relies on the information it finds or is given in order to create new data, it will also display the biases of its original input – if the majority of information on a particular topic is biased towards a particular gender, race, political entity or so on, that bias will appear in the AI-generated content too.

AI may also be selective, especially if a lot of the information needed to generate content requires subscriptions or other paywalls – such as the wide array of information available on the library databases, which would be generally inaccessible to an AI search algorithm.  This can result in vague, repetitive content, or even outright contradictory statements.  AI-generated content will often use incorrect or even completely made-up citations, so make doubly sure to check that quoted sources exist and have been cited correctly.

If you are permitted to use generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) in your assignment, make sure to follow the instructions on how exactly you can use it and to acknowledge its use. We highly recommend that you include the following information when using AI generated content in your work:

• Written acknowledgment of the generative AI tool used and for what purpose
• The prompt(s) used to generate the content
• A note about your modifications
• In-text citation and bibliographic citation
• Include the original output with your submission

In the past, content created by ChatGPT could not be replicated, because an identical prompt will not produce the same response as before. This means that your instructor would not have been able to verify the result your original prompt created. There are now third-party tools such as ShareGPT and AI Archives that allow you to share the original output. These tools create an archive of the output and a custom link to it. You can include this link instead of or in addition to a screenshot or printout of the output when citing. ChatGPT now also has a link-sharing feature, but the link will not work anymore if you delete a conversation from your account.

Here are two examples of written acknowledgements, but please check with your instructor about their preferences.

Example

I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to generate materials for background research and self-study for this assignment. I entered the following prompts on 7 March 2023:

“Write a 100 word summary about the history of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Add two references.”

The original output was adapted and modified for the final response. A copy of the original output is attached with my assignment .

Example

I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to refine the academic language and accuracy of my own work. I submitted my entire essay and entered the following prompts on 7 March 2023:

“Improve the academic tone and accuracy of language, including grammatical structures, punctuation and vocabulary.”

The original output was adapted and modified for the final response. A copy of my original essay and a copy of the original output are attached with my assignment.

For examples of how to cite AI-generated content, visit Kwantlen’s excellent guide on APA and MLA citation.

As with any computer program, you should take a good look at any AI tool’s terms of use and privacy policies, so that you are clear about what happens with any data you provide.  As an example, here are the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy from ChatGPT:

Terms of Use

• If you are “under 18 you must have your parent or legal guardian’s permission to use the Services” (Registration and Access section)
• You are “responsible for all activities that occur using your credentials” (Registration and Access section)
• You must not “represent that output from the Services was human-generated when it is not” (Usage Requirements section)
  • this means that any content created using ChatGPT that you submit for your assignment must be identified as having been created by ChatGPT
• The output that is generated “may not be unique” (Content section)
• The output that is generated “may in some situations result in incorrect Output that does not accurately reflect real people, places, or facts” (Content section)
• You should “evaluate the accuracy of any Output as appropriate for your use case, including by using human review of the Output” (Content section)

Privacy Policy

• OpenAI collects personal information you provide. This includes your name, contact info, payment info, files you upload, messages you send, and activities on related social media accounts
• OpenAI collects personal information automatically when you use the service. This includes log data (your IP address, date, etc.), usage data (what you did), device information (what you used), and cookies (websites you visited)
• OpenAI states that they “may provide your Personal Information to third parties without further notice to you”. These third parties include vendors, other providers, law enforcement, and affiliates

Any technology or app carries the risk of cyberattacks or data breaches; ChatGPT has already had at least one such breach (article here), and it is likely that other AI tools will have similar breaches in the future.