AI-Generated Tools for Academic Research

AI-generated research tools can support or hinder your intellectual, creative, and professional growth. Accordingly, we expect that you will use AI-based tools responsibly, with care, and with an eye toward understanding their systemic harms and benefits. This means among other things that you consider the following:

1. Transparency & Disclosure

• Fully document AI's role in research:

  •    Explicitly cite AI tools used when appropriate
  •    Explain specific contributions of AI rather than copying and pasting the output and calling it your own 
  •    Highlight limitations and potential biases
  •    Provide context for AI-generated content
  • Understand the tool's methodology and capabilities

2. Authority Evaluation

• Critically assess AI as a source:
  • Examine developer transparency
  • Investigate training data methodologies
  • Check for potential conflicts of interest
  • Do not automatically treat AI as an equivalent to human experts
  • Consider the reputation of the AI tool's creators

3. Accuracy Validation

•    Rigorously validate AI-generated content:
  •    Request and cross-check sources
  •    Seek evidence of human oversight 
  •    Independently verify information from multiple sources
  •    Be aware of potential hallucinations or inaccuracies
  • Maintain critical thinking and scholarly rigor

4. Privacy Considerations

•    Be mindful of potential privacy implications:
  •    Avoid uploading sensitive or personal information  
  •    Review the basic privacy platforms of AI platforms 
  • Be cautious about data sharing and storage