Guidelines for generative AI use from universities worldwide
ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI)–powered chatbot developed by OpenAI received a highly enthusiastic response on its launch in November 2022. It reached 100 million users just two months after its launch, which is an unprecedented growth rate for a consumer app.1 Racing to develop new and more powerful AI tools, tech companies like Meta and Google announced their respective versions of AI tools—LlaMA and Bard. 2,3
Such generative AI tools use algorithms to create an output such as an essay, poem, image, or computer code based on the prompt provided by the user. AI tools can generate this output within seconds after the user enters the prompt.
Because of this ability, such AI tools are being used to write essays, create illustrations, and even write books. By February 2023, over 200 books in Amazon’s bookstore were reported to have ChatGPT listed as an author or co-author.4 According to a March 2023 survey conducted by BestColleges, of the participating college students who reported having used AI tools, 50% used them to help complete assignments or exams.5
Benefits of AI tools in education
AI tools can help students correct errors in spelling and grammar, ensuring that their content is readable and error-free. They can help non–English-speaking students translate their essays. Many can also provide valuable feedback to students, helping them identify their weaknesses and polish their writing skills.6 Such beneficial uses of AI can reduce the stress of students with low English proficiency.
Chief concerns related to AI use
However, the use of AI tools by students is not free of concerns. Besides there being no way of verifying the accuracy of output produced by generative AI tools, academics worry that using text produced by an AI tool is comparable to committing plagiarism.7 In the BestColleges survey, 51% of the participating students reported being concerned that using AI tools to complete assignments and exams counts as cheating.5 AI tools can evade anti-plagiarism software, which has led to concerns in the academic community. Educators also note that students’ over-reliance on generative AI tools may lead to a decline in their writing and critical thinking skills.8 In addition to these concerns, universities have noted that AI tools may pose risks related to information security, data privacy, and copyright.9
Responses of universities worldwide to generative AI use
Many universities have declared the use of AI tools for assignments and exams as academic misconduct, while others have reviewed their plagiarism policies and AI-use guidelines.8 In the BestColleges survey, 31% of the participants said that their instructors, course materials, or school honor codes have prohibited the use of AI tools.5
Some Australian universities have recognized that banning AI tools may not be feasible as students can circumvent this restriction by using VPN or other technologies. As such, they have revised their assessment methods and shifted to the old-school pen–and-paper exams.10
Universities in the US and UK have largely acknowledged the usefulness of AI tools and formulated guidelines for their use. They particularly instruct students to use AI tools guided by principles of academic integrity and caution against the risks they pose, including providing biased or inaccurate information and data privacy leaks. Most university guidelines allow students to use AI to aid learning and to explore new topics, while prohibiting them from copy-pasting output from generative AI tools.9,11–13
Some colleges in India are exploring measures to prevent students from relying on AI tools but permitting their use for some work to encourage productivity. However, some colleges have banned AI tools, and students are directed to submit original work for assessment. To monitor whether students submit original assignments, colleges have directed teachers to conduct random checks to see if students can reproduce the work in their assignments.14
On the other hand, some university students and teachers in Brazil, Chile, and Columbia are using generative AI tools routinely to write, edit, and code, thus boosting learning and reducing workload. Overall, these universities are encouraging students to use AI tools responsibly rather banning or restricting their use.15
Japan’s education ministry released guidelines for the limited use of generative AI in elementary, junior, and high schools to develop ideas for classroom discussions, while directing universities to come up with their own policies for generative AI use. Some universities have imposed limits on AI use because of risks of copyright infringement, information leaks, and plagiarism, while encouraging teachers and students to understand the utility and limitations of the technology. The drafted guidelines also prohibit students from using generative AI in exams that measure their academic performance.16
The way forward
Overall, despite some drawbacks, AI tools have benefits in education that cannot be ignored. As such, researchers are calling for universities and institutions to carefully evaluate the potential benefits and weigh them against the risks of AI while formulating guidelines.6
The general opinion is that by following the drafted guidelines, students and researches can take advantage of the benefits of AI while ensuring safe, responsible, and ethical use of the technology. These guidelines are likely to be updated regularly because the field is quickly evolving, with tech companies launching newer and better versions of their AI tools.
REFERENCES
1. Milmo, D. ChatGPT reaches 100 million users two months after launch. The Guardian (2023).
2. What’s the next word in large language models? Nat. Mach. Intell. 5, 331–332 (2023).
3. Knight, W. Meet Bard, Google’s Answer to ChatGPT. Wired.
4. More than 200 books in Amazon’s bookstore have ChatGPT listed as an author or coauthor | Business Insider India. Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/more-than-200-books-in-amazons-bookstore-have-chatgpt-listed-as-an-author-or-coauthor/articleshow/98157910.cms.
5. Half of College Students Say Using AI Is Cheating | BestColleges. https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/college-students-ai-tools-survey/.
6. Wang, T. et al. Exploring the Potential Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on International Students in Higher Education: Generative AI, Chatbots, Analytics, and International Student Success. Appl. Sci. 13, 6716 (2023).
7. Milano, S., McGrane, J. A. & Leonelli, S. Large language models challenge the future of higher education. Nat. Mach. Intell. 5, 333–334 (2023).
8. Chan, C. K. Y. A comprehensive AI policy education framework for university teaching and learning. Int. J. Educ. Technol. High. Educ. 20, 38 (2023).
9. Guidelines for Using ChatGPT and other Generative AI tools at Harvard. https://provost.harvard.edu/guidelines-using-chatgpt-and-other-generative-ai-tools-harvard.
10. Cassidy, C. Australian universities to return to ‘pen and paper’ exams after students caught using AI to write essays. The Guardian (2023).
11. Guidelines for the secure and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence | IT Security - The University of Iowa. https://itsecurity.uiowa.edu/guidelines-secure-and-ethical-use-artificial-intelligence.
12. Artificial Intelligence | Research Integrity and Assurance. https://researchintegrity.asu.edu/export-controls-and-security/artificial-intelligence.
13. Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Articles. University of Greenwich https://www.gre.ac.uk/articles/public-relations/guidance-on-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-ai.
14. Bengaluru colleges ban use of ChatGPT, the AI agent that passes exams, writes assignments. TimesNow https://www.timesnownews.com/bengaluru/bengaluru-colleges-ban-use-of-chatgpt-the-ai-agent-that-passes-exams-writes-assignments-article-97395928 (2023).
15. Latin American universities embrace ChatGPT despite cheating fears. The Economic Times (2023).
16. Author, N. Education ministry guidelines to allow limited use of generative AI in classrooms. The Japan Times https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/22/national/school-ai-use/ (2023).
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