The world of higher education is rapidly evolving, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly prominent role in writing and research. This technology, once confined to the realm of science fiction, is now gathering and refining insights to hone human-like intelligence. You needn’t consult the to hear the truth of this unfolding tale, either — instead, just ask the chatbots.
While AI chatbots offer undeniable ease and efficiency, their emergence raises crucial questions about ethical practices and academic integrity. To examine this issue, we’ll explore the exciting yet complex terrain of writing and researching with AI.
Introducing your new assistant
Savvy and sophisticated, chatbots can quickly analyze source material, extract essential information, and creatively express ideas. While these advancements are impressive, most experts agree that AI is not a replacement for the writer but a means for refining and enriching your writing process.
Acting as an astute and speedy sidekick, AI is a valuable resource during the drafting process. However, relying on these tools to produce final results is ill-advised. Because many of these platforms rely on pulling information and content that already exists via search engines, the responsibility of fact-checking, editing, and ensuring the accuracy and originality of the content ultimately rests with you — the hero of this virtual adventure. Additionally, using these tools necessitates careful oversight to ensure the final output aligns with your morals and intentions.
Keep an open mind as we move beyond the black-and-white and acknowledge the nuanced reality of AI’s impact. By equipping yourself with essential strategies, you can harness the power of AI while upholding the core values of academic integrity.
It’s all about input
Ever heard the phrase, “You get what you give?” Believe it or not, AI operates on the same sentiment.
Although chatbots are powerful assistants, their efficacy relies heavily on your ability to communicate your needs effectively. Specific and detailed instructions are paramount. The more precise you are about your expectations, the better these cyber tools will satisfy your needs. Unclear prompts can lead to unintended outcomes, highlighting the importance of your human guidance.
Consider CREATE
Crafting the perfect input can seem intimidating. But don’t sweat it. Creativity scholar and has a strategy for generating prompts that reliably yield high-quality results.
Poignant and memorable, Birss’ framework uses the acronym CREATE.
| Character: Like a director managing the cast of a play, you set the stage for AI to perform. To begin your prompt, tell your chatbot-of-choice exactly “who” it should write as.
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Example: You’re a second-semester junior at University of Bridgeport, where you study Sport Management.
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| Request: Unless we’re talking improv comedy, a cast of characters can’t offer a memorable performance without purpose. Every great scene relies on a superb script and explicit stage directions. Keep this idea in mind when engaging with AI writing and research tools. By writing input with precise expectations, you invest in a better output.
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Example: You’re writing a term paper about ethics in Sport Management, in which you plan to explore case studies focusing on management practices in women’s basketball.
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| Examples: Now, do a little bit of research yourself. Find articles, books, or other literature that explores the topic at hand. This further helps the AI determine the direction of the project.
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Example: Refer to the WBCA Code of Ethics and other similar sources.
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| Adjust: Next, assess your prompt and revise as necessary. Add any specific ideas or elements you’d like to include to facilitate the chatbot’s response.
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Example: Your thesis should focus on strategies for promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in professional athletics.
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| Type of output: Then, establish a structure for the output. Provide the chatbot with guidelines for formatting.
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Example: Your response should be approximately 1500 words in length. Include an introduction and conclusion. Break up the main ideas using subheadings. Avoid using bulleted or numbered lists.
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| Extras: Finally, stop and hit pause. Did you forget anything you need the chatbot to include? Include any additional expectations you have. | Example: Include works cited to ensure all sources are credited.
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Ready? Let’s put it all together.
You’re a second-semester junior at University of Bridgeport, where you study Sport Management. You’re writing a term paper about ethics in Sport Management, in which you plan to explore case studies focusing on management practices in women’s basketball. Refer to the WBCA Code of Ethics and other similar sources. Your thesis should focus on strategies for promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in professional athletics. Your response should be approximately 1500 words in length. Include an introduction and conclusion. Break up the main ideas using subheadings. Avoid using bulleted or numbered lists. Include works cited to ensure all sources are credited.
By following Birss’ formula, you can make the most of your AI collaboration.
Need a hand completing that research paper? Academic help doesn’t only come in the shape of a chatbot. At the Heckman Center, you can receive comprehensive 1:1 support. From academic advising to virtual and in-person tutoring options, you can address your learning needs. Learn more about how University of Bridgeport can support your personal and professional success today!
The copy-paste consequence
If you’ve skillfully constructed the perfect prompt, you may be awed by the enhanced quality of your chatbot buddy’s response. Naturally, your amazement may give way to dubious moral doubt.
Can’t I hand in my AI-written essay as is?
After all, I wrote the input, right?
Is it really wrong to copy work written by a robot?
Our best advice? Resist the temptation! While clicking copy and paste may only take seconds, this shortcut gives way to long-lasting consequences. The dangers of relying solely on AI output include plagiarism (both intentional and unintentional), false information, perpetuating biases, and more.
Instead of taking the copy-paste shortcut, consider a chatbot’s output as a starting point for your analysis and critical thinking. This middle-ground bridges the best things about AI-generated content with the best things about human-written work — incorporating novel ideas and concepts while applying human reasoning and tone to create original, thought-provoking, and attention-grabbing content.
Avoiding plagiarism is imperative to maintaining academic integrity. Not only is plagiarism theft, but it can have dire consequences on your personal and professional future. As a college student, the costs of copying others’ work can include failing an assignment or course, being put on academic probation, getting suspended, or even being expelled. Furthermore, a history of plagiarism can be noted on your transcript, impacting the educational and professional opportunities you can enjoy in the future.
When it comes to AI-generated content, determining whether words or ideas are stolen can be complicated. That’s why employing a multi-pronged approach to checking and combatting potential plagiarism is crucial. While your best bet is to ensure you’re synthesizing the chatbot’s output in your own words (and incorporating your unique thoughts and ideas in the process), we recommend using plagiarism detection tools to compare your text with existing materials. Furthermore, by directing a chatbot to use only sources you’ve provided, you can better safeguard against unintentional plagiarism.
Remember, creating original content is the responsibility of you — the human writer.
Addressing inaccuracies
The internet contains an infinite web of knowledge. So, if a computer wrote it, it must be true. Right?
AI tools are powerful information processors. However, remember that the information these tools provide comes from people who may be incorrect or misinformed. Moreover, these tools are still evolving and can have trouble differentiating legitimate, up-to-date, and fact-checked information from fake news. As a result, chatbots can be potential culprits for amplifying misinformation and spreading disproven facts.
Even if a fact provided by a chatbot sounds true, avoid accepting AI-generated content at face value. There are a few strategies for fact-checking chatbots that you can utilize. For one thing, you can ask the AI to fact-check itself. While this may seem redundant and certainly isn’t foolproof, AI has the capacity to recognize and correct its errors. Regardless of whether you utilize this tip, still do your legwork to cross-reference claims and critically evaluate the information presented. Remember, the ultimate responsibility for truthfulness lies with you. Always supplement AI’s work with your own research and human judgment.
Let’s chat about bias
AI algorithms learn from the data and information used to train them, which can be a double-edged sword. Although they absorb helpful patterns and endless information, chatbots lack the cultural and social awareness to identify harmful biases that the information they provide might be perpetuating. Consequently, their outputs can inadvertently promote skewed perspectives around race, gender, disability, and other diverse attributes. When you employ AI tools for research and writing, you must remain alert to the possibility of bias by evaluating the output for potential issues around representation, inclusivity, equity, and fairness.
For example, consider the Microsoft Copilot coding assistant. Although its launch initially presented great promise, users quickly noted that problematic biases were notably present in Copilot’s output. Like other AI algorithms, Copilot’s software was trained using large datasets adopted from publicly available repositories. While the humans designing Copilot had positive intentions, this data Copilot inevitably included various human-written material that mirrored societal prejudices.
In addressing this issue, it’s critical to remember that chatbots thrive on human feedback. Without users and developers with the awareness to identify these issues, AI software and its engineers can’t address and correct harmful biases.
Quality considerations
At the end of the day, AI-generated content — while impressive — sometimes misses that magical spark that only human creativity can ignite. Whether you’re an aspiring author or are essay-avoidant, chances are your words flow smoother than a chatbot’s. Embrace the quirks and charms of human expression because, let’s face it, nothing quite beats the authenticity and vibrancy of your voice on the page.
Improving the outcome
We’ve said it before — think of AI as your assistant, not your replacement. So, what are some things you can ask your sidekick to do that will make your writing even better?
You needn’t ask a chatbot to write for you to still benefit from these incredible tools. Here are a few alternative ways you can use AI to improve your writing.
- Request a review: You can ask AI to assess the writing you’ve created based on specific guidelines. For example, you can ask your preferred chatbot to identify important concepts or ideas you might have overlooked. You can request that these tools “grade” your writing based on a scale you provide — helping you understand which parts may need revisions.
- Seek suggestions: Need some recommendations for where to gather research? Rather than asking AI to do these things for you, consider asking chatbots for suggestions as to where you can find this information yourself.
- Brainstorm big ideas: If you’re stuck on a writing project — whether it be creative or academic — you can consult a chatbot for a brainstorming session. Bounce ideas back and forth with the bot. Doing so can help ignite your creativity and lead you to explore ideas that may not have otherwise occurred to you.
Let’s talk transparency
When all is said and done, whether it’s “okay” to write and research with AI tools relies on the guidelines provided by your professors. If existing policies attest that you cannot use a chatbot to complete a task, you are responsible for holding up your end of the bargain.
Moreover, when and if you use AI assistance, you must be transparent about it. Remember — academic integrity is paramount from the classroom to your career. Acknowledging your use of AI systems demonstrates honesty. In the same way that quoting and citing human sources builds trust between writers and readers, attributing assistance from automated writing tools signals your capacity to give intellectual and creative credit where it’s due — establishing your academic honesty and professional credibility while helping advance a climate of fair and ethical AI adoption.
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