AI Syllabus Statement

In September 2023, Inside Higher Education (IHE) published the Hanover Research Report on Artificial Intelligence:  Benefits, Challenges, and Sample Use Cases of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education. This offers a good overview that you may find helpful in thinking further about AI. If you are considering a syllabus statement concerning AI usage in your class, you will appreciate the excellent statement developed by Dr. Kathleen Lee, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. This statement is included in the syllabus of her Medicinal Chemistry (CHEM 430) course. She was inspired by Dr. James Prather, Associate Professor in the School of Information Technology and Computing, and others during an Adams Center presentation at the beginning of the academic year. With permission, I have included it below. Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence:  Generative AI is a rapidly evolving tool that produces information as text or images in response to a prompt. As with any tool, generative AI can either benefit the user when handled appropriately or cause damage when misused. The use of generative AI poses some significant risks to the student who chooses to use it indiscriminately. First, the learning process often requires students to grapple with ideas and information over time; this process is undermined when AI assembles and organizes information within minutes. By employing generative AI, the student inhibits higher-order thinking and the internalization of knowledge. Second, output from generative AI may include inaccurate or false statements, which undermine the author’s reliability. The quality of the output may be poor or generic, failing to meet the standards expected of graduating college seniors. In the end, the student is responsible for both the accuracy and quality of the work he or she submits. Third, as they employ generative AI to accomplish short-term goals, students may lose motivation to attempt the work themselves and become overly dependent on AI for larger and more significant tasks. Ultimately, misuse of generative AI undermines the purpose of this course and negatively impacts a student’s preparedness for his or her future career. In CHEM 430, the use of generative AI is inappropriate on assignments such as those involving reflection or sharing one’s beliefs, perspectives, or experiences; summarization of scientific work as in annotated bibliographies or abstracts; analysis and assimilation of relevant facts into an organized written document. These uses undermine personal academic growth. Use of AI is permissible under certain circumstances such as using generative AI as one might a search engine or other office aid software (i.e. citation software or grammar and spelling checkers). When in doubt, the student is responsible for confirming with the instructor whether AI is permitted for specific functions. Should a student choose to use AI to complete an assignment, the student must disclose how AI contributed to the work.