Recent times have seen discussions, concerns and way-out / counter measures surfacing in digital / social media, on the enhanced scope for plagiarism, masking of real source of ideas and content presented in academic assignments due to the springing up of new AI tools such as ChatGPT and more; and their impact on the quality of output from educational courses, integrity of evaluation process, fairness to participants and so on. Below is a discussion on the likely impact and how one can and should handle the evolution / impact of technology and tools; mind-sets of academic community (time for change…), and need to adopt an open, practical and positive approach to handle technological revolution and consequential societal evolution. The discussion is multi-dimensional presented under ten questions. More will surface as time passes and more dimensions of the evolution surface. This is an evolving topic and readers are requested to comment, criticise and add to the points (headlines as well as the discussion under each)
- How ChatGPT obstructs academic excellence as students tend to copy paste search results without insight into what it is
ChatGPT obstructs insightful learning of concepts as reflected in academic excellence as students tend to rely on it to generate quick popular answers without actually engaging in critical thinking leading to intellectual involvement and application of mind in gaining insight into the subject of study and originality in problem-solving. By copy- pasting or minor tweaking of the material they receive, they miss out on the opportunity to truly understand, reflect on the subject matter and gain a deeper knowledge of the topic. This can result in a lack of gaining original thinking and problem solving skills and the inability to apply any ‘knowledge gained’ in real-world situations. Mechanically using ChatGPT or any other AI tool to copy and paste information is academic dishonesty with potential serious consequences in terms of grades and future career / learning opportunities. To ensure academic excellence, students should use technology as a tool to aid in their learning and research and not rely on it as the sole source of information. In fact students should understand and internalise the pluses and negatives of application of technology to enhance the quality of their holistic understanding of the problem, solutions options and aid in quality original decision making
Challenges in academic evaluation due to AI tools like ChatGPT include
- Unreliable results: Though AI tools like GPT are capable of generating human-like text, they lack the depth of knowledge, insight and understanding of the problem that reflect academic excellence, required for academic evaluation. This means that relying on the outputs generated by AI tools will be short of reliability and accuracy, leading to misleading assessment of academic scholarship.
- Lack of originality: Since AI tools generate text based on the information available on the internet, outputs generated are not original, leading to ‘plagiarism’, a major concern and shortcoming in academic assessment.
- Limitations in understanding complex concepts: AI tools cannot digest complex concepts / problems and reduces the real problem to superficiality of its understanding and recognition of its complexity. This can result in lack of depth in the answers generated hindering the ability of students to grasp the subject in its holism and preparation to its effective application in real life situations
- Bias in results: AI tools are designed and trained based on the data they have access to, potential biases in the output generated, masking the real problem definition and solution generation. This can lead to suboptimum or skewed / partial understanding of the subject and its diversity and complexity.
- The need for human intervention: AI tools are not advanced enough to replace human understanding, assessment and problem evaluation in its entirety. Academic evaluations require human intervention, that are time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- While AI tools can be useful for academic evaluation, they also pose several challenges that must be addressed. It is important for educators and academic institutions to be aware of these challenges and to use AI tools or even to ban their use in a responsible and ethical manner, ensuring that usage of AI tools lead to reliable, accurate, insightful, critical and holistic outcomes and understandings.
Fear of misuse / abuse of AI tools like ChatGPT by students for academic evaluation – reflection of incompetence / shortcomings of academic institutions and teacher community and outdated evaluation system than academic incompetence of students / abuse of tools available
Fear of misuse or abuse of AI tools like GPT-3 in academic evaluations is a reflection of the shortcomings and inadequacies of the academic institutions and teacher community, as well as the outdated evaluation system. Instead of blanket ban academic institutions and academic community should deep delve on how best these can and should be used, to enhance efficiency, quality, originality and understanding of subject matter and solutions generated
In a world where technology is rapidly advancing, academic institutions and teacher communities must ensure that they are adapting and updating their methods to keep pace with the changing times. The current education system may not always be equipped to aid enhance and assess the critical thinking and problem-solving skills of smart / innovative / imaginative students, which are essential in the digital age.
Additionally, the academic institutions and teacher communities must educate students on the ethical, appropriate, efficient and smart use of technology in academics. They must ensure that students understand the importance of original thinking and creativity, understanding of technology capabilities / limitations and efficient way to put to use AI tools in learning and solution generation.
While students must be held accountable for their actions, the fear of misuse or abuse of AI tools in academic evaluations by institutions / academicians is also a reflection of the need for academic institutions and teacher communities to adapt and update their methods and their own knowledge base to keep pace with the changing times.
- Is it not the responsibility of the academic and teaching community to evolve innovative evaluation tools to check on students misusing AI tools for assignments/research and other evaluation processes
It is the responsibility of the academic and teaching community to evolve innovative evaluation tools to check on students who may be misusing AI tools for assignments, research, and other evaluation processes.
As technology continues to advance, academic institutions and teacher communities must develop new methods of evaluation that are more effective in assessing the skills, knowledge, learning and application orientation of concepts by students. This includes enabling efficient use of sophisticated tools such as AI to detect plagiarism and academic misconduct.
Academic institutions and teacher communities must educate students on the importance of original thinking and creativity as well as efficient use of tools including AI in academic excellence and evaluations. They must also provide students with the skills and resources they need to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner. Academic community should not run away from emerging reality but be a part of enabling their ethical efficient appropriate intelligent use
It is the responsibility of the academic and teaching community to evolve innovative evaluation tools to address the challenges posed by AI tools in academic evaluations as well as effective use of technology. This includes developing new methods of evaluation, educating students on the importance of original thinking and creativity, and providing students with the skills and resources they need to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner.
- I seriously believe it is the right of students and more their prerogative to learn / adapt to use / and use whatever efficient methods including AI tools are available to solve problems including learning process and even in evaluations. Why should academic institutions / academicians get into a fear psychosis mode and device counter-productive / negative tactics to bar students from using AI tools in their examinations / evaluation / assignments/ assessments/ research? Is it not a reflection of the inadequacy / incompetence of the academic system and academicians in devising appropriate evaluation methods to test if students have internalized and used originality in their works subjected to their competency evaluation?
Students have the right to learn and adapt to use efficient methods, including AI tools, in their learning process and evaluations. It is not productive for academic institutions and academicians to adopt negative tactics to bar students from using AI tools in their examinations, evaluations, assignments, assessments, and research.
Academic institutions and academicians must recognize that technology is a rapidly evolving field, and students must be equipped to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner. By developing new methods of evaluation that are more effective in assessing the skills and knowledge of students, academic institutions and academicians can help students use technology to their advantage.
It is also the responsibility of academic institutions and academicians to educate students on the importance of original thinking and creativity in academic evaluations. They must provide students with the skills and resources they need to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner, and to ensure that students understand the dangers of relying mechanically on AI tools without depth of involvement for their assignments.
It is important for academic institutions and academicians to embrace technology and work with students to ensure that technology is used in a responsible and ethical manner in academic evaluations.
- Is it not time for a fundamental re-evaluation of our academic system to define their goals, means, expectations, processes and even continuous evaluation of the same for their appropriateness in a dynamic world that is evolving at a fast pace. Should we not penalise the academic ecosystem collectively for their inability to evolve and adopt regressive practices or even contemplating negative tactics to check on students who use technology (better than the teachers) in any way they believe aids in pursuit of their personal / professional goals. Should we not have a system to continuously evaluate academicians and academic system for their fitness to adapt to changing world? Why should academic institutions and academicians be paid for their obstructive tactics to progress in pursuit of their private agenda / interests
A fundamental re-evaluation of the academic system is necessary to ensure that it is appropriate for a rapidly evolving world. The academic system must be evaluated regularly to ensure that it is meeting its goals, expectations, and processes in a way that is relevant to the changing world.
Academic institutions and academicians must not be penalized for their inability to evolve and adopt progressive practices, and it is not appropriate for them to use negative tactics to check on students who use technology in a responsible and ethical manner. The academic system must be designed to encourage and support students as they pursue their personal and professional goals.
It is important for the academic system to have a continuous evaluation process in place to assess the fitness of academic institutions and academicians to adapt to the changing world. This includes evaluating their ability to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner, and their commitment to promoting original thinking and creativity in academic evaluations.
Academic institutions and academicians must not be paid for their obstructive tactics or their pursuit of private interests. The academic system must be designed to promote progress and ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
A fundamental re-evaluation of the academic system is necessary to ensure that it is appropriate for a rapidly evolving world. The academic system must be designed to encourage and support students as they pursue their personal and professional goals, and to ensure that academic institutions and academicians are equipped to adapt to the changing world.
- Is there anything wrong in plagiarism in academics if that is the evolving smart way to success if one can find its way? Aren’t these tactics adopted by businesses / governments / diplomat, in real world? Why this hypocrisy : one set of standards for lecturing to others and another for me in practice
Plagiarism is considered unethical and unacceptable in academic circles. Plagiarism is defined as the act of using someone else’s work or ideas as one’s own without giving proper credit.
In the academic world, original thinking and creativity are valued, and students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through original work as a prerequisite to be certified to carry out certain tasks with originality, quality and commitment consistently. Plagiarism undermines the educational process and devalues the hard work and achievements of those who don’t indulge in it.
While it may be true that some businesses, governments, and diplomats use tactics that might be considered unethical in the academic world, this does not mean that such tactics are acceptable in the academic environment. The academic world has its own set of standards and values, and plagiarism is considered a violation of these standards. This sets the gap between knowing the rules and learning the ropes. The real world is a complex evolving thing that moves towards desired outcomes sans ethics, values …
- How can we ignore the consequential impact of AI obstructing creativity through narratives that only AI generated material is right? Does it not lead to cartelization of businesses, obstruction of free market, true creativity and innovation? Don’t we need legislation to tame such obstructive tactics?
AI and its widespread use have the potential to adversely impact creativity, original thinking, and innovation. When students and professionals rely solely on AI-generated material, it can lead to a narrow perspective and a lack of originality in their work.
To mitigate this impact, it is important for individuals, academic institutions, and organizations to adopt a responsible and ethical approach to the use of AI. This includes promoting the development of original thinking, creativity, and innovation, and encouraging the use of AI in a way that supports these goals.
In some cases, legislation may be necessary to address the negative impact of AI on creativity and originality. For example, laws and regulations can be put in place to prevent the misuse of AI in the production of intellectual property and to protect the rights of individuals and organizations who produce original work.
It is important to take a proactive approach to addressing the potential impact of AI on creativity and original thinking. This includes promoting the responsible and ethical use of AI, encouraging original thinking and innovation, and, in some cases, implementing laws and regulations to protect the rights of individuals and organizations who produce original work
- Drawing a line to define ethical act, innovation, what is innovation for AI may be obstructing innovation for users of AI? Question of ethics, rights and wrongs, whose interests are we promoting? Can we have a legislation of this or just driven by societal value systems and political expedience?
Defining ethical acts and innovation is complex and can depend on various factors, including cultural, social, and political considerations.
In the context of AI, ethical acts might include ensuring that AI systems are transparent and explainable, protecting personal data privacy, and avoiding the use of AI for malicious purposes. Innovation in the AI context may include developing new and innovative AI applications and systems that enhance human capabilities and improve our quality of life.
What may be considered innovative for AI may obstruct innovation for users of AI. For example, the widespread use of AI for decision-making may lead to reduced creativity and original thinking among individuals and organizations, which could obstruct innovation. AI put to use in a perverted way can social me toos, psychological barriers to differ from the ‘significant others’ obstruct free expression. This could be maliciously used by commercial entities to create a crowd effect in the consumer behaviour
The question of ethics, rights, and wrongs in the use of AI is complex and multifaceted, and it is difficult to determine whose interests should be promoted. While societal value systems and political expedience can play a role in shaping ethical considerations and innovation in AI, it is also important to consider the broader implications of AI use and to develop a set of principles and guidelines to govern the development and use of AI.
Defining ethical acts and innovation in AI is a complex and ongoing process that depends on a variety of factors, including cultural, social, and political considerations. It is important to continue to reflect on the implications of AI use and to develop a set of principles and guidelines to ensure that AI is used in an ethical and responsible manner that promotes innovation and enhances human capabilities.
- What is the impact on self-esteem or self-worth of those who use AI for demonstrating their academic scholarship to gain grades or rewards
Indiscriminate irresponsible use of AI tools in academics, such as in assignments, evaluations, and research, can have a negative impact on self-esteem and self-worth for some individuals.
When students use AI tools to complete assignments or evaluations, they may feel that they are not demonstrating their own knowledge and skills, which can lead to a lack of confidence in their own abilities. This can affect their self-esteem and self-worth, leading to feelings of inadequacy and a sense that they are not truly demonstrating their own knowledge and skills.
Moreover, when grades and rewards are based on the use of AI, students may feel that their accomplishments are not genuine, and that their hard work and dedication are not being recognized. This can lead to further feelings of inadequacy and a decrease in self-esteem and self-worth.
The indiscriminate / superficial / casual / irresponsible use of AI tools in academics can have a negative impact on self-esteem and self-worth for some individuals. Academic institutions and educators need to consider this impact of AI on student well-being and devise evaluation methods that accurately reflect the knowledge and skills of students and promote their self-esteem and self-worth.