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Generative AI: ChatGPT

In this research guide, you will discover the inner workings of generative AI language models such as ChatGPT. You'll also gain insight into the history of AI, plagiarism, benefits and limitations of using AI, and how to use generative AI in the classroom

Academic Dishonesty at IECC

  • Students – As a general rule based on the Academic Dishonesty policy above, the unethical and inappropriate use of AI is not allowed at IECC. If your teacher has allowed some use of AI, that will be clearly stated in the assignment instructions.
    • Please be sure to carefully read and follow those instructions and properly cite AI work as directed to ensure you are being honest and ethical at all times.
    • Visit the Citing Generative AI tab for more information about properly citing AI work. 

 

  • Instructors – If you wish to allow students to use AI, please be very clear about your expectations in the syllabus and the course assignment. Make sure to include information on properly citing all AI information, both as in text citations and on the Work Cited page. 
    • How much AI is allowed, and on what assignments? (10% of written work, 20%, etc)
    • Are there specific generative AI tools you'd prefer students use for the coursework? 

AI Plagiarism Detection

Tools to detect machine generated text are relatively new. These tools are being developed, released, and improved all the time.

Because of the limitations of these tools, using multiple detection tools on each sample will provide more accurate responses. That being said, every tool has margins of error, even the very best ones. Remember, even if one of these tools says it is "100% AI Generated" that does not necessarily mean that the text was AI generated. It just means that it has all the markings of a text that was AI generated. There is no foolproof way right now to determine with 100% certainty if a text was generated by an AI chatbot.

Notes on AI Plagiarism

*There is no AI detection service that can definitively determine whether content was generated using artificial intelligence 

The current suite of AI plagiarism detectors only flag content that might have been generated by AI and will often flag content with false positives and negatives. There are many ways to edit and format the text as a way to "get around" the plagiarism detectors as well.

*Be on the lookout for signs of AI plagiarism

- does the student change their writing style from one assignment to the next? Does their "voice" change?

- Grammatically "perfect" English could be a sign of AI plagiarism (or a student using spell check proficiently)

- "feels" off or wrong

*Be mindful before accusing a student of AI plagiarism

If you think a student has plagiarized with AI, note that there is no surefire way to be 100% certain of the plagiarism in most circumstances. Be wary of accusing a student of plagiarism simply because a plagiarism checker came back with a positive reading on a text.

Accusing a student of AI plagiarism when they did not commit it can have significant downsides. First, it may create a lack of trust between the student and the instructor, as the student may feel unfairly accused. This lack of trust can erode the relationship between the two and negatively impact the student's academic experience.

Secondly, being accused of cheating when one did not do so can lead to a lack of motivation to keep working. The student may feel demotivated to put in effort if they feel that their hard work is not being recognized and that they are being unfairly punished.

Lastly, false accusations of AI plagiarism can undermine the student's faith in the entire academic process. They may begin to question the validity and fairness of the assessment methods used in the course, which can have long-term consequences for their academic success. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider all evidence before making an accusation of AI plagiarism and to handle any such situations with sensitivity and care.