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A Guide to Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to play a major role in education, art, technology, and other areas. This guide provides information and resources about different types of AI.

5 Principles of Ethical AI

Transparency

AI systems and processes should be open and clear about how decisions are made, including disclosing the data, algorithms, and assumptions behind their functionality, to ensure trust and accountability.

Justice, Fairness, and Equity

AI systems should not perpetuate bias or discrimination, and they should be designed to treat all individuals and groups equitably, addressing and mitigating any unfair outcomes.

Non-maleficence

AI systems should not be harmful to individuals or society, and the systems should avoid causing any unintended negative consequences.

Responsibility and Accountability

Developers, organizations, and users of AI systems should be held accountable for the outcomes of the technology, including ensuring ethical use and addressing any harm caused.

Privacy

AI systems should protect the personal information and data of individuals, ensuring that their data is not misused or exposed without consent.

AI and Academic Integrity

AI and Copyright

The copyright implications of AI, especially training generative AIs like ChatGPT, are vast and complex. Our current copyright laws were written long before the advent of AI, and there are unlikely to be many answers until cases work their way through the judicial system, a process that can take many years. The resources below will introduce you to the current legal landscape of artificial intelligence, as well as introduce alternative ways of training AIs and increasing transparency via model cards.

Citing AI Use

APA Style

Guidelinehttps://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

APA format:  Author. (Date).Title (Month Day version) [Additional Descriptions ]. Source

Author: The author of the model. 

Date: The year of the version. 

Title: The name of the model. The version number is included after the title in parentheses. 

Bracketed text: References for additional descriptions

Source: When the publisher and author names are identical, omit the publisher name in the source element of the reference and proceed directly to the URL.

 

APA reference entry: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Feb 13 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com

APA in-text citation: (OpenAI, 2023)

MLA Style

Guideline: https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/ 

Examples

MLA format: “Text of prompt” prompt. ChatGPT, Day Month version, OpenAI, Day Month Year, chat.openai.com.

MLA Works Cited entry: “Explain antibiotics” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 16 Feb. 2023, chat.openai.com.

MLA in-text citation: ("Explain antibiotics")

Chicago

Recommendations on how to cite AI-generated content 

Example

Chicago style recommends citing ChatGPT in a Chicago footnote

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 31, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com.

AMA Style

AMA recommends that you mention the brand name, version number, manufacturer/owner, and date used in parentheses within the text itself, and then citing the specific AI tool you used as software in the reference list. Below is the example from the AMA handbook:

On June 12, 2023, the original full text of the question was put into a fresh chatbot session (ChatGPT, model GPT-4, OpenAI) and the generated responses were saved.

And here is an example for citing ChatGPT as software: 1. ChatGPT. Version Mar 14. OpenAI; 2023. Accessed March 28, 2023. https://openai.com/

Climate Impacts

AI, like all technology, has an energy and climate cost. The climate impacts of AI are still being studies and are in constant flux as the technology changes. However, AI also has the potential to accelerate and assist with climate research, if used responsibly. See the articles below for more information on how artificial intelligence affects our environment. 

Research Ethics and AI

The ethics of AI in research is still a developing field with many differing opinions. However, some groups and publishers have begun to release guidelines for the use of AI tools in research. For example, STM's Ethical and Practical Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in the Publication Process recommends the following general princples:

  • Using publicly available GenAI as a basic tool that supports authors in refining, correcting, formatting, and editing texts and documents is permissible.
  • Authors must disclose any use of GenAI that transcends those use cases so an editorial decision can be made as to its legitimacy.
  • GenAI cannot be used to create, alter, or manipulate original research data and results, such as images, blots, photographs, x-rays, and measurements.
  • GenAI cannot be credited as an author of a published work.

Additionally, many publishers have issued their own specific rules on AI use. As publishing is a decentralized field, it is important to check the rules of the publishers and journal you are submitting to.

Acknowledgements

Library guide content derived from:

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Ethics, Oregon State University

How to Cite AI-generated Content, Purdue University

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Tools. University at Buffalo