Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly making its way into every corner of society, including education. While using this technology can benefit students, educators, and institutions, there can often be a thin line between what it means to use AI ethically and unethically in this context.

Different institutions will have varying rules and policies, but generally, AI is expected to be used by students to assist them in their work, rather than doing it for them. For professionals, AI should typically be used to automate tasks in a fair and non-discriminatory way for every student.

In this guide, we share everything you need to know about AI use in education, including the potential punishments for using it unethically and what colleges can do to tackle harmful use.

What is the unethical use of AI?

Plagiarism is one of the most significant and serious issues that can occur when students use AI unethically. If a student relies on technology to produce content for an essay or another piece of work, they’re in danger of submitting work that isn’t their own. Whether this happens in the context of a lesson or a graded exam, there can be significant consequences – such as disqualification.

Similarly, the content and data generated by AI can be biased, as the technology can only draw on information provided by a human (who may input information that’s weighted towards their own thoughts, feelings and opinions). Therefore, we can never rely on AI to be totally fair, valid, and non-discriminatory, and we must assume that any information we receive from it could be biased in one way or another. Using such unreliable information or ideas to aid in school work or to assess and grade students could be harmful, so AI-generated content and data should always be fact-checked.

Ultimately, any usage of AI that breaches college policy can be considered unethical in that context. Different institutions will have varying rules, and some may allow a greater reliance on AI technology than others.

Potential consequences of unethical AI use

Unethical AI use can have a range of punishments and repercussions, and students, educators, and institutions can all be impacted.

Repercussions for students

Depending on the offense, students may be expelled from their college, have their work destroyed or their degree revoked, and face fines or penalties.

Students may receive a written caution from their college for less serious offenses, see a reduced mark, or be asked to attend an academic practice session.

Repercussions for educators

Like students, educators could face penalties and fines or be terminated from their posts and have their professional reputations tarnished.

Repercussions for institutions

Similarly, educational institutions found to be facilitating unethical use of AI may face legal penalties and fines, lose their accreditation, and have their image damaged  – this could lead to loss of funding and potentially the closing of the institution.

How can AI be used ethically in education?

There are ways that both students and educators can use AI ethically in education. What is defined as ethical and what isn’t will sometimes be decided by the institutions themselves and their governing bodies. Still, in many instances, ethical practices will be determined by the laws in place.

What is generally considered to be an ethical way to use AI? It may look like students using the technology to generate prompts or quickly summarize a complex topic they need help understanding. For the most part, colleges allow students to use AI in a way that inspires their own work, so long as the technology isn’t being used to complete the bulk of the work for them.

For educators and institutions, ethical AI use may mean using the technology to grade student papers or to scan submissions for plagiarism. It’s important to note that professionals need to fact-check any AI data or content they draw on in their practice to ensure it is valid and reliable.

How can institutions tackle unethical AI use?

Colleges should have strict, precise, accessible guidelines and rules for determining how AI can be used within their institutions, which will help both students and educators gain a deeper understanding of how to appropriately make use of this innovative technology.

Colleges should also provide regular training sessions that instruct both students and educators on the benefits of AI, as well as its potential limitations and dangers. By opening up the conversation and spreading awareness, students and college employees will be better equipped to prevent unethical use and should be able to determine the best course of action if problems arise.

Above all else, it’s the responsibility of colleges to educate their students and employees on the repercussions and punishments associated with unethical AI use. By taking a transparent, honest approach to AI, they can ensure every student and educator feels confident knowing how to use the technology to benefit students and avoid harmful practices.

About the author 

Jennifer Bailey is a college lecturer on technology. She runs regular meet-ups that allow students and educators to learn and share their knowledge about AI while also familiarizing themselves with the newest technological innovations.

References

-What Happens if  You Get Caught Plagiarising in University?

https://thinkstudent.co.uk/what-happens-if-you-get-caught-plagiarising-in-university/

-Artificial Intelligence In Education: Teachers’ Opinions On AI In The Classroom

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/it-and-tech/artificial-intelligence-in-school/

-AI higher education statistics

https://www.studocu.com/blog/en/university-students-guide-to-ethical-ai-use

-To Err is Not Human: The Dangers of AI-assisted Academic Writing

https://scientific-publishing.webshop.elsevier.com/research-process/the-dangers-of-ai-assisted-academic-writing/