If you have articles or other resources to share related to ChatGPT and scholarly research, please email Garrett Traylor. Please also look for other announcements and resources about ChatGPT coming from other offices and departments including the Center for Faculty Enrichment (CFE) and Honor Council, as conversations are happening across campus.
What's the Deal with ChatGPT and Copyright?
On August 18, 2023, the US District Court for the District of Columbia released a landmark decision on the copyrightability of AI-generated works, affirming the U.S. Copyright Office's position that AI-generated artwork is not eligible for copyright protection under U.S. law, explaining that human authorship is a "bedrock requirement of copyright."
If you are concerned about the intellectual property of your own work, be mindful of what you submit to various generative AI platforms as there is often no guarantee that your work will not be used as training data and integrated into the system's knowledge base.
Learn more about generative AI and copyright here.
Is It Cheating to Use ChatGPT?
All content generated through the use of ChatGPT (and other generative AI tools) is to be understood and identified as “co-authored” by the user and the AI. To mitigate the possible risks of AI-generated content, OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT) have developed their own Sharing & Publication Policy.
As stated in Augustana College's Honor Code, students are expected to be "committed to the ideals of integrity, accountability, fairness and honesty" in their college work and beyond. Approved by the student body and faculty in May 2006, the Honor Code "sets the foundation and boundaries to ensure academic excellence and stability in an evolving and dynamic world." Violations of the Honor Code are serious offenses. Students found guilty of such academic dishonesty — including cheating, lying, stealing, and plagiarism — are subject to disciplinary sanctions. Although the Honor Code does not include explicit mention of generative AI tools, be aware that their use may constitute a violation. Always check with your instructor for their policy on the use of generative AI tools.
Is ChatGPT Neutral?
Since AI systems are developed by humans and trained on human language, they can never be fully neutral. For example, ChatGPT's default tone and style tend to replicate US norms of "professionalism" that privilege some vocabularies and grammars over others. And it's trained to avoid giving bigoted or sexist answers—but in doing so, it's using parameters for bigotry and sexism that were developed by humans. When using ChatGPT and similar tools, it may be helpful to assume these types of bias exist and be on the lookout for them.