Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an array of technologies that allow machines to perform tasks traditionally requiring human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, decision-making, and problem-solving.
AI tools have a lot of potential to aid research, discovery, and productivity. But they also come with significant issues that users need to be aware of. For instance, the fluent, authoritative tone with which popular chatbots like ChatGPT present incorrect information has prompted journalist and author Cory Doctorow to call them “confident liars.” AI systems can also reflect and reinforce biases found in their training data or design. This can result in unfair or inaccurate outputs, sometimes with real-world consequences in areas like hiring, healthcare, or policing.
This guide is meant to provide Fairfield University students, staff, and faculty with a framework to use and explore these tools ethically and effectively, both in their academic work and their professional lives.
“No Human, No AI”
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has developed several principles for AI, one of which is “No Human, No AI.” ARL states that this principle “underscores the importance of human involvement in critical decision-making junctures, enhancing accountability, ethical considerations, and the overall reliability of AI-driven processes within the research environment.”
Rigorous academic work serves the purpose of not only enlightening us intellectually, but also providing us with the means of developing the critical thinking and communication skills that we need to thrive in our professional and civic lives. Therefore, it is imperative we use AI technologies to augment and enhance our thinking, not to replace it. The scholar Ethan Mollick, who has written extensively about AI, advises us to think of AI as a “co-intelligence” that requires our active participation: “Being in the loop helps you maintain and sharpen your skills, as you actively learn from the AI and adapt to new ways of thinking and problem-solving.” (54)
Use AI Ethically
There is no single policy governing AI usage. It is crucial to make yourself aware of the rules and requirements for every situation in which you might use AI, such as how a professor wants you to use it (or not use it) for assignments, or the guidelines a publisher might have for its use in materials submitted for publication. As with any other resource you might use in your work, it is important that you cite your use of AI tools.
AI tools are still in their infancy and the University community is still in the process of experimenting with these tools, discovering their possibilities and limitations, and reflecting on their implications for our work and lives. We advise adopting a spirit of inquiry and critical examination as you explore AI tools in your life and work, and to take part in the larger AI conversations with your community, peers, and colleagues.