AI and Academic Use

Students, below are a few ways you can use Generative AI (GenAI) in your academic work. You want to be cautious when using these tools as you may be more at risk of accidental plagiarism or opening yourself up to intellectual property theft from the AI tool. GenAI uses existing information from the internet and other users to answer your prompts, so please be careful when you use GenAI tools. In your course work you want to ensure the ideas presented are your original ideas, any ideas that are not yours are cited, and the final work you present is unique to you.

You can feel good about using AI when it assists with your writing and does not replace it. AI does not produce original ideas, but you do. Rely on your curiosity to develop your unique perspective. Using AI to write for you is plagiarism. Whenever you use text or information produced by AI you must cite it as a source.

If you have any questions about using GenAI tools in your academic work, please check with your instructor as they may have guidelines or rules for how GenAI can be used in their course. 

Brainstorming

Tip: Prompt AI to brainstorm a specific topic. The AI tool can highlight core concepts, provide historical context, point out common misconceptions and practical applications, call attention to critiques and challenges, and connect the topic to related concepts and domains. 

Pro: AI can quickly identify related ideas, events, and other data related to a topic. 

Con: AI is limited by the knowledge it scrapes from the internet and does not engage the learner in critical thinking. 

Ideation

Tip: AI can help generate arguments for and against an idea or topic. These arguments can be helpful in the ideation phase of your coursework when determining your unique position or thesis. 

Pro: AI can help you consider your topic from various viewpoints you may not have studied otherwise. 

Con: AI may disrupt a learner's development of critical thinking skills by filling in gaps in one's knowledge while failing to engage the learner in active evaluation of the information source for accuracy, authenticity, and bias. When using AI for ideation purposes, it is essential to consider it the most basic starting point and follow up on any information by fact-checking and further research into the topic. 

Inquiry

Tip: Ask AI to provide background on a topic or to define a word, and it will assist you with data harvested from online encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other open information sources. 

Pro: Quickly get information on a person, topic, or historical event. 

Con: AI is only as reliable as the information it sources from and has been found to hallucinate. While quick information on a subject may be helpful, it should not be counted on for reliability. If you find information you want to use in your coursework, check it against a reliable source. If you need assistance, please contact a librarian. 

Practice

Tip: AI can help you practice writing techniques like paraphrasing or structuring an argumentative paper. You may use AI to help practice these and other writing techniques. 

Pro: AI can work in a pinch to provide examples and exercises. 

Con: AI can not replace tutors in the writing center or librarians who can assist you with your academic work and protect your intellectual property. Please do not enter any of your original ideas into AI, as they can be added to the AI knowledge base and shared with other users.

Research Assistance

Tip: AI can direct you to research sources.

Pro: Some AI products have been built to direct scholars to useful authors and research. 

Con: AI has been known to provide false sources called hallucinations. Always check a source you find through AI by searching an academic index on the library website or looking up the author on the open web. Because OpenAI can only search the open web, it does not replace academic research. Some subscription services may provide academic access.

Is using AI cheating?

Before you turn in academic work that has included the use of GenAI tools, ask yourself a few questions to feel confident the work you are turning in is original, free of misinformation, and others' ideas have been properly cited:

1. Have you familiarized yourself with the school and your professor's academic integrity policies regarding the use of AI tools?

2. Have you done the actual writing and critical thinking yourself? 

3. Have you included citations when AI has significantly contributed to your work?

4. Have you double-checked AI-generated content for accuracy and ensured the original ideas presented are your own or have been properly cited? 

5. Have you relied too heavily on AI tools? If you are unsure how much is too much, speak with your professor. 

6. Have you reviewed AI-generated content for bias and errors? 

1. Seek Guidance from Your Professor: Until or unless the University initiates a policy regarding the use of these tools, professors may have varying policies regarding the use of AI writing technology in the classroom, so it is important to defer to your professor's guidance. Be sure to ask your professor about their policy on using AI writing tools like ChatGPT, and adhere to their requirements and expectations when incorporating these tools in your coursework.
2. Acknowledge the Use of AI: If you incorporate ideas, text, or inspiration from AI writing tools in your work, be sure to acknowledge their use in your author's notes or attributions.
3. Think Critically: When using AI writing tools like ChatGPT, remember that they are not perfect and may not always provide accurate or relevant information. They are prone to “hallucinating” convincing, yet incorrect, information. It is essential to critically evaluate the output and cross-check any facts, claims, or sources provided by the tool. Remember that these tools don’t “know” things; they just return the word patterns they were trained on.
4. Protect your Rhetorical Sovereignty: While AI writing tools can be valuable in providing inspiration or generating ideas, it is crucial to ensure that your own voice, creativity, and innovation are not surrendered to the AI. Use these tools as a starting point or a supplement, but not a replacement, for your own thinking and writing.

UC Santa Barbara Writing Program. (2024). UCSB Writing Program AI Policy.