Cautions for College Students

When advising college students on using Conversational AI in their academic work, here are some cautions to keep in mind:

By keeping these cautions in mind, students can use Conversational AI as a valuable tool while maintaining academic integrity and developing their own critical thinking and research skills.

• Verify Information: Conversational AIs can provide information quickly, but they are not infallible. Always cross-check facts, statistics, and references with reliable academic sources.
• Avoid Over-Reliance: While these tools are helpful for brainstorming and drafting, they should not replace critical thinking and original research. Over-reliance can stifle creativity and the development of essential academic skills.
• Understand AI Limitations: Conversational AIs can generate content based on patterns in data but do not truly “understand” the material. This means they can sometimes produce plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical information.
• Cite Properly: If you use ideas or text generated by a conversational AI, make sure to follow your institution’s guidelines on citation. Some institutions may require you to cite AI as a source, while others might not consider it an acceptable reference.
• Beware of Plagiarism: Even though conversational AI generates text, submitting AI-generated content as your own work without proper attribution is considered plagiarism. Always ensure your work is original and properly credited.
• Ethical Considerations: Using AI to complete assignments without doing the work yourself can raise ethical issues. Students should reflect on the purpose of their education and the importance of developing their own knowledge and skills.
• Misuse of AI: Some academic tasks require deep engagement with the material, such as close reading, critical analysis, or original research. Misusing AI in these contexts can result in shallow or superficial work that fails to meet academic standards.
• Privacy Concerns: Be cautious about sharing personal information or sensitive data with conversational AI tools, as the privacy and security of that information cannot always be guaranteed.
• Technical Issues: AI tools can sometimes malfunction, provide outdated information, or misinterpret queries. Always approach the results with a critical mind and have alternative methods ready to complete your work.
• Institutional Policies: Be aware of your institution’s policies regarding the use of AI in academic work. Some institutions may have specific guidelines or restrictions on how these tools can be used in coursework and assessments.