AI should be used responsibly, with integrity, and of course, ethically. As the sphere of AI develops and educational institutions tailor their responses, we need to consistently assess how this rapidly changing field may affect research, learning, teaching, and assessment.
Always discuss the use of AI with your lecturer and/or refer to the course guidelines on this subject. Depending on the specific assignment and/or course, you may be asked not to use AI, while in others, AI use may be part of the overall assignment design. Communication is key!
Most institutes would consider a written assignment entirely crafted by AI as plagiarism, as it is not your own work; you are advised not to use AI in this way.
Generative AI/GEN AI has raised issues and concerns surrounding academic integrity, its application, and even its definition. Firstly, you can recap on the RCSI academic integrity principles here.
Gen AI tools can undermine academic integrity by allowing learners (and researchers) to submit entire essays, projects, research, and other works that are not their own.
Typically, Gen AI does not credit any author, even though it may borrow heavily from an author's work and publications. This leaves the door wide open for cases of plagiarism.
Furthermore, overreliance could disrupt the development of key skills, such as critical thinking.
Overall, any AI generative tool should be employed with balance in mind. To help you do this responsibly, keep the checklist below in mind:
Gen AI: Ethical Use Checklist for Academic Integrity
Acknowledgement - It is recommended that you clearly state that you have used AI in composing your work.
Please check with your module coordinator/lecturer where in your work you should include this information. See the example:
Use of AI tools to assist in generating or editing content, and/or including refinement of writing and grammar
I acknowledge the use of [insert name of AI tool(s) and link] to generate materials for this submission. I confirm that no content generated by AI has been presented as my own work. I have appropriately referenced such content as AI-generated content.
Citing AI or Referencing AI - guidelines for this are still in development and are likely to evolve as AI advances. There is no clear consensus yet, so you must always check your school/department guidelines or ask your instructor if you are unsure. The following are some general instructions for referencing AI.
If you use AI to help you with the writing and research process, or if you take information from AI output, you should acknowledge this in-text, citing the name of the tool/provider of the tool and the year as an acknowledgment of AI-derived data.
(OpenAI, 2023) or OpenAI (2023).
You will also need to include a complete reference list entry. Some necessary parts of a reference list entry are:
Bard. (2023). Bard response to John Doe, 29 June 2023.
OpenAI ChatGPT. (2023). ChatGPT response to Jane Doe, 2 April 2023.
It is essential to note that more detailed guidelines may be developed for various referencing styles (e.g., Harvard, APA, Vancouver) as the field progresses. Always check the department guidelines via your instructor or lecturer.
It is also possible to include a full or partial transcript of a response from AI in an appendix or other supplementary materials. For some more general tips on referencing and citing AI, you can visit Scribbr.