5 Key Takeaways from the Ethical Use of AI in Research Papers Panel
By Alexis Carabetta ’24
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a prominent tool often debated on college campuses and in the business world due to concerns of ethical implications. The PC Business Ethics Club presented a panel discussing the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research papers. This panel featured Christine Earley, Ph.D., professor of accountancy and associate provost for faculty development, Alexander Moffett, Ph.D., associate professor of English, and Will Toner, senior associate director of the Writing Center. The panelists discussed considerations that students should bear in mind when using AI tools and highlighted the opportunities for AI to promote critical thinking, especially within the Providence College School of Business. Here are five of the key takeaways:
1. Be cautious not to become over-reliant on AI tools.
Remember Disney’s Wall-E? In the movie, the consequences of over-dependence on technology result in an uninhabitable Earth, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own behavior and foster a balance between technology and nature. Toner invited us to avoid the overreliance on technology such as AI tools that Wall-E portrays. Toner stressed the importance of writing as an avenue for learning and not to diminish the educational component of writing by relying too heavily on AI.
2. AI is detectable in your papers.
Moffett stressed using caution when utilizing AI tools to enhance your papers. He emphasized that AI can be detected. Moffett shared an anecdote about a student who had used AI to write a paper incorporating quotes from “Mrs. Dalloway” — or so the student thought. The student did not realize the chatbot had rearranged words from the text to create quotes that were not present in the original text. Furthermore, Moffett discovered this through his own reading of the essay, stressing to students that professors possess great knowledge about the material they teach and can often detect AI-written text on their own.
3. Providence College offers many resources to help you write your research papers.
During the panel, one student posed a very important question: “Where else can I seek assistance for my research papers without resorting to AI?” Fortunately, the college offers numerous resources including the Writing Center and the library. Bring your paper to the Writing Center during any stage of the writing process to develop your ideas and revise your writing. Additionally, the library provides a wealth of resources to aid you in your research papers. Do not hesitate to ask the librarians for help! They are eager to help you locate sources, cite them correctly, and guide you in using library databases. PC librarians specialize in these areas and offer guides for all types of sources, including accounting, marketing, chemistry, history, and so much more!
4. There is great potential for AI, especially in business settings.
While exercising caution when utilizing AI tools for research papers, Earley emphasized the significant potential these tools hold in the business world. The continuous evolution of AI expands its capabilities over time allowing us to anticipate using AI tools for data analysis in the near future. It remains crucial for individuals to remain proficient in fundamental data analysis functions, such as pivot tables and v-lookups in Excel, but once we have mastered these initial steps, AI can streamline this process by coding the data for us. Earley recognizes the opportunity for students to spend more time on in-depth data analysis and interpretation with access to these AI coding functions. By leveraging AI for coding tasks, students can spend more time on thoughtful analysis rather than being preoccupied with coding formulas.
5. Do not deprive yourself of the opportunity to strengthen foundational skills crucial for workplace success!
Overall, AI is a very powerful and useful tool when used properly. However, there are numerous skills AI cannot replace such as critical thinking and communication skills. Both are pivotal skills for the business world and you cannot rely on AI to execute these functions for you. Providence College empowers students to cultivate their critical thinking and communication skills by providing students with a liberal arts foundation. Ensure that you use AI to enhance these skills rather than relying on them to execute these tasks on your behalf!
