Six months ago, something happened that changed the game for students and artificial intelligence. GPT-4 was released and suddenly, students could just give a computer an essay prompt and bam! A 500-word essay would appear in seconds, and it didn’t cost a dime. It’s like magic, man.
Now, this accessibility to AI writing tools has got some people in the Miami University community all panicked, while others are just intrigued. I know professors who think these AI tools are gonna destroy academia and ruin the art of writing. But then there are professors who think students can actually learn from using AI in their classrooms, you know, cautiously exploring this whole new world.
It’s an interesting debate, with valid arguments on both sides. But Miami University needs to make up its mind, because right now they’re sending mixed messages about how AI should be used in the classroom. They’ve revised their academic integrity policy to include AI tools as a possible instance of cheating or academic dishonesty. But what does that really mean, man?
Like, do spell-check platforms and grammar-aide browser extensions count as AI tools? And what about just having GPT-4 on your computer? Is that considered cheating, even if you’re not using it on an assignment? These are important questions, and Miami needs to give us some answers.
But it’s not just Miami that’s divided on this issue, man. According to Forbes, 51% of students surveyed think using AI on an assignment is cheating. Then you got 29% in the neutral camp, and 20% who don’t see it as cheating at all. Me? I’m in the awkward neutral category, dude.
I mean, if you have AI write your whole book report, yeah, that’s cheating. But what if you just use GPT-4 to define a word and then fact-check it with other sources? Or if you use AI to proofread your commas? It gets tricky, man.
Miami’s integrity policy does leave some room for professors to incorporate authorized AI usage into their classrooms, though. Half of the students Forbes surveyed think AI can be used ethically on tests and exams. So maybe there’s some hope, man.
The problem is, Miami doesn’t really give us a clear definition of what ethical usage looks like. Their faculty resources are vague, man. They just say “get to know the tools” and that AI can be used in a productive, creative, and educational manner. But what does that even mean, dude?
As a writing consultant, I get the apprehension. We’re not sure how AI is gonna change our industry, man. We don’t want writing to become some thoughtless, transactional thing. But hey, not all writing needs to be art, you know? Sometimes it’s just cursory, like the citation page of every paper I’ve ever written.
Instead of leaving professors in the dark, universities should take this opportunity to teach students how to skillfully and ethically use AI. AI can be a powerful tool for creative writers, language learners, and programmers. But we gotta approach it with critical thinking, man. AI ain’t perfect. It can be biased and generate false information.
Universities need to lead the way, man. They need to show us how to use AI in the right way. We should have explicit permission to use AI tools, fact-check AI responses, and learn about bias and intellectual property concerns. Give us examples of how to use AI as a brainstorming tool, man.
If we educate ourselves and become skilled AI users, we can create a positive future with AI, man. It doesn’t have to be some scary, dystopian thing. AI can make our lives easier, if we use it responsibly. Miami can be a leader in this, dude.
So let’s embrace this AI age and learn how to navigate it. Let’s create a generation of students who know how to use AI ethically and productively. And let’s say goodbye to those fears of a robots versus humans hellscape. It’s time to make AI our ally, man.
