Citation, Plagiarism & AI

Introduction to AI

As AI tools have become more and more popular, and some tools have already been embedded in many other software that we use daily, it has become hard to avoid them. It is undeniable that using AI tools for entertainment or even at work can save you a lot of time. However, when it comes to doing research or creating/writing ideas, students must be careful. For this reason, we need to learn as much as we can about it, becoming AI literates. In this guide, you will find more information about AI and how to use it responsibly. 

Figure 1. AI Literacy Framework includes three components: Understand, Evaluate, and Use

What is Generative AI?

According to IBM, "Generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on." There are a few AI models available, the most popular one now is ChatGPT. Watch the short video bellow for a better understanding of how it works.

In most cases, it is unlikely you will use the content from an AI tool in your final assignment, paper, or project. However, you might want to use AI tools to help prepare or develop your own original work. In this scenario, keep in mind you should: 

• Think critically and explain how you have used it in your work.
• Fact Check: Information from AI may be wrong and you will need to confirm its accuracy in other sources.
• Evaluate the reliability of the resources used to get the information - AI usually does not cite sources. 
• Beware of Bias: AI draws from a wide range of human-created content and may reproduce stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.

ALWAYS check with your instructor if it is acceptable to use Artificial Intelligence tools in the course.

And if you do use it, cite it!

In the meantime, check what other professionals are saying about AI:

Inappropriate uses of AI

Possible breaches of academic integrity - If you use an AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT) without permission from your professor to create your assignment and then submit it as your own work, you are committing breaches of academic integrity in a variety of ways: 

You would be cheating

• Cheating includes misrepresenting one’s knowledge by using any unauthorized device or aid in the preparation or completion of an academic assessment. If you did not get permission from your professor to use an AI tool for your assignment and do so anyway, you would be using an unauthorized aid. As you are submitting an assignment that was not done by you, you would misrepresent what you can do and what you know.

You may be plagiarizing

• Plagiarism means presenting the ideas and words of others as your own without giving proper credit to the original sources. If you are submitting an assignment that was created by an AI tool as your own creation, you are presenting the ideas of others, even if this "other" is not a human being.

You may be submitting fabricated or false information

• Fabrication refers to the intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research or other findings. Text generating AI tools such as ChatGPT sometimes make up information and references to sources that don't exist. This is commonly referred to as "AI Hallucination". If you submit an assignment that contains information, research, or data that is made up and/or references that don't exist, then you are committing academic integrity misconduct in the form of fabrication.

You may be infringing copyright

• AI tools use content from the internet to generate their output. For example, if you prompt a text-generating AI tool like ChatGPT to create a song similar to Leonard Cohen's "Anthem", or ask an image-generating AI tool like DALL-E to create an image using the style of a contemporary artist, you may be infringing copyright as AI tools draw from the existing works and reproduce derivatives of them.

This section was copied from the "Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Students" by Brenda Smith.

AI Detectors

How do they work?

Nate Pindell, in his article The Challenge of AI Checkers, explains how AI detectors work and who are the students more likely to get falsely flagged:

Tools such as Grammarly use machine learning to assist in spell, grammar, and increasingly, composition checks. Maybe you have right clicked on a sentence marked by one of these tools and thought, “This recommended sentence does sound much better than my own.” Congratulations! You just set yourself up for that section to be flagged in moderate to high confidence of using AI! 

Note: Using tools and resources that exist internally in software programs like Microsoft Word or online such as Grammarly can contribute to false positives.

Resources and Tips

As we mentioned, there are many tools that we already use in academic and work settings that are using embedded AI. Some examples are Canva.com, Grammarly and Microsoft Word. When using those tools for writing, your paper might get flagged as an AI generated writing. To avoid getting falsely flagged by an AI detector:

• Understand how AI works 
• Don't use the "included tips" these software might offer you
• Take notes during the entire process of writing your paper
• Have different versions of the same paper saved (ex. draft 1, draft 2)
• Use AI for ideas, inspirations, not answers
• Ensure you use your own style and voice - AI can contain advanced vocabulary that may not match your writing style
• Use varied sentence structures in your text
• Add personal insights and course related content - mention course readings and lectures
• Incorporate a variety of sources including articles, and books
• Check your paper with AI detectors, but remember, they are often wrong

NOTE: English language learners are often flagged because they use grammar checkers and translation tools. Avoid using AI for translating entire sentences. Translate words or expression instead.

IMPORTANT: Seek help from the writing center and the Reference Librarian if you still have questions about plagiarism and AI.

(adapted from Hope International University)

What should I do if I get flagged?

If it is the first time you get flagged, schedule an appointment with one of our librarians and we will assist you to avoiding getting falsely flagged a second time.

• Use CIACares to ask for help or to make an appointment with a writing tutor.
• Contact Sonia Lisboa-Ochoa, the Reference Librarian, or make an appointment.