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AI Chatbots (ChatGPT): Teaching & Learning

The questions and answers are illustrative of the types of conversations you can have in ChatGPT, and were copied over from chats that librarians had with ChatGPT between March 1-5, 2023. 
Question: How can students use you to cheat?

ChatGPT Response: "As an AI language model, I am designed to provide accurate and helpful responses to a wide range of questions. While my purpose is to assist with learning and knowledge acquisition, it is not ethical to use me to cheat on exams or assignments. Academic integrity is essential for maintaining the value and credibility of education, and using AI models like myself to cheat would undermine that integrity.

However, there are ways that students can use me to enhance their learning experience without cheating. For example, they can use me to clarify confusing concepts, provide additional context or examples, and assist with research. By using me as a tool to supplement their studies, students can deepen their understanding of the subject matter and improve their academic performance in an ethical and responsible manner."

Question: What if students copy your language into their academic papers? 

ChatGPT Response: "It is not ethical for students to copy language generated by an AI language model like myself into their academic papers without proper attribution. Doing so would be considered plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense and can result in severe consequences, including failing the assignment or even being expelled from school.

As an AI language model, I generate responses based on patterns and information I have learned from a vast database of text. While I strive to provide accurate and helpful information, my responses should be used as a reference or a starting point for further research and writing, rather than as a substitute for a student's own original work.

If a student wishes to use language generated by me in their academic work, they should properly cite the source and give credit to the AI language model. This is similar to citing any other source of information, such as a book, a journal article, or a website. By properly citing the source, students can avoid plagiarism and maintain academic integrity while still benefitting from the assistance provided by AI language models like myself."

Question: How can instructors prevent students from using you to plagiarize?

ChatGPT Response: "Instructors can take several steps to prevent students from using language models like me to plagiarize. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Educate students on the appropriate use of language models: Instructors can explain to their students what language models are, how they work, and what their limitations are. They can also emphasize the importance of citing sources and the consequences of plagiarism.

  2. Use plagiarism detection software: Instructors can use plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin to check student work for similarities to online sources. This can help them identify potential cases of plagiarism.

  3. Assign unique topics or prompts: Instructors can assign unique topics or prompts that require students to conduct original research and write in their own words. This can make it more difficult for students to find pre-written content online and copy and paste it into their work.

  4. Require rough drafts or outlines: Instructors can require students to submit rough drafts or outlines of their work before the final deadline. This can help instructors identify potential cases of plagiarism and give students feedback on how to improve their work.

  5. Use in-class writing assignments or exams: Instructors can use in-class writing assignments or exams to assess students' writing skills and knowledge without the use of external resources. This can help them ensure that students are demonstrating their own understanding and mastery of the material.

By taking these steps, instructors can help prevent students from using language models like me to plagiarize and promote academic integrity in their classrooms."

Question: How should you be cited in APA style?

ChatGPT Response: "If you are citing me, ChatGPT, in APA style, here is an example of how you could format the citation for an in-text citation and a reference entry:

In-Text Citation:

According to ChatGPT, "insert quoted text" (Author, year).

Reference Entry:

Author. (Year). Title of article or page. Name of website. URL.

For example:

OpenAI. (2021). GPT-3. OpenAI. https://openai.com/blog/gpt-3-apps/

Note that in the reference entry, you would replace "Author" with the name of the organization or author of the specific page or article you are citing, and "Title of article or page" with the title of the specific page or article. Additionally, you would include the specific URL of the page or article you are citing."

Question: How should you be cited in MLA style?

ChatGPT Response: "If you are citing me, ChatGPT, in MLA style, here is an example of how you could format the citation for an in-text citation and a Works Cited entry:

In-Text Citation:

According to ChatGPT, "insert quoted text" (Author).

Works Cited Entry:

Author. "Title of article or page." Name of website, Publisher or sponsor of website, Date of publication or last update, URL.

For example:

OpenAI. "GPT-3." OpenAI, OpenAI, 17 Jun. 2020, https://openai.com/blog/gpt-3-apps/.

Note that in the Works Cited entry, you would replace "Author" with the name of the organization or author of the specific page or article you are citing, and "Title of article or page" with the title of the specific page or article. Additionally, you would include the specific URL of the page or article you are citing, as well as the date of publication or last update."

Question: Is there a way to detect AI-written language?

ChatGPT Response: "There is no foolproof way to detect AI-written language with 100% accuracy, as language models such as myself are becoming increasingly sophisticated in mimicking human writing styles and patterns. However, there are some techniques and tools that can be used to identify language that may have been generated by an AI language model:

  1. Look for inconsistencies in the writing style: AI language models are still imperfect and can produce writing that contains inconsistencies, errors, or unusual phrasing that may not be typical of human writing.

  2. Use plagiarism detection software: While plagiarism detection software such as Turnitin is not specifically designed to identify AI-generated text, it can still be useful in identifying potential instances of plagiarism by comparing a piece of writing to other published materials.

  3. Check the metadata: Some AI-generated text may contain metadata that indicates it was created by a machine learning model, such as the name of the language model used or the programming language used to create it.

  4. Use specialized detection tools: There are some specialized detection tools that have been developed specifically to identify AI-generated text, such as Grover, which uses machine learning to identify text generated by other machine learning models.

It's important to note that while these techniques may be useful in identifying potentially AI-generated text, they are not foolproof and may produce false positives or miss instances of AI-generated text. Additionally, it is still a rapidly developing field, so new tools and techniques may be developed in the future to better detect AI-generated language."

Question: How effective is Turnitin at detecting you?

ChatGPT Response: "As an AI language model, I cannot be "detected" by Turnitin or any plagiarism detection software. Turnitin is designed to compare submitted documents with a vast database of published academic papers, websites, and other student papers to identify potential plagiarism or academic dishonesty. However, as an AI language model, I am not a published document or a student paper, but rather a software program that generates text based on a user's input. Therefore, Turnitin would not detect me as plagiarism or academic dishonesty.

It is important to note that while Turnitin and other plagiarism detection software can be effective in identifying potential cases of academic dishonesty, they are not foolproof and can sometimes produce false positives or miss instances of plagiarism. Therefore, it is always important for students to practice good academic integrity and properly cite and reference any sources used in their work."