Week 2: The Ethical Implications of AI
AI literacy essentials for academic libraries
Choice and Clarivate have teamed up to develop an eight-week, newsletter-based course on generative AI literacy for academic library workers. If you are AI curious—and short on time—then this course is for you!
Each week contains three sections:
- Introduction: An overview of a core AI literacy competency
- In Practice: An interview or case study
- Reading Room: Further reading material focused on the topic
- The module closes with a quiz and discussion questions.
Make sure you’re registered to receive all eight weeks directly in your inbox! Know someone who might be interested in this micro-course? Share the registration page with your colleagues.
In week two, we look at the personal ethics of AI: from privacy to academic integrity. We will return to this subject with a greater focus on the environmental implications in week seven.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Ethical Considerations and Data Privacy
by Kerry Lohmeier, Associate Dean of Library and Information Services at the University of Akron School of Law
An important component of educating ourselves and our patrons about the proper use of AI involves understanding ethics and data privacy. The library plays a key role in preparing students to use AI safely and effectively. The pitfalls students may encounter when they use an AI tool can be mitigated through prompt engineering training, a clear understanding of how AI works, and by fostering critical thinking skills—especially when it comes to analyzing outputs.
Attribution and Academic Honesty
A cornerstone of academic writing is providing proper attribution so that others can verify your work and find additional sources to use to expand their knowledge. Use of generative AI tools can make this challenging in a variety of ways. Many free applications will answer research questions but will not always provide sources for answers. Students, faculty, and others using answers generated by AI should always carefully evaluate output from generative AI tools.
An additional emerging attribution issue is whether the use of AI needs to be disclosed in academic and other writings. Some publishers, organizations, etc., issue guidelines, while others may opt for an outright ban on usage. A blanket ban comes with additional issues if imprecise terminology is used in the ban. For example, if AI use is banned, then it excludes the use of products with extractive as well as generative AI. The prevalence of generative AI in word processing applications and search engines also means that some users may be unaware of generative AI usage when they accept an editing suggestion that pops up while drafting documents or do a web search.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations—instances where AI confidently presents false information as fact—are a well-known hazard of AI usage. There have been several high-profile instances of attorneys using completely fabricated case law generated by AI to support documents submitted to courts across the United States. These embarrassing cases arise from not following standard practices for updating and confirming the accuracy of legal research results. AI tools with a carefully curated content collection are more likely to deliver reliable and relevant results for various scholarly tasks. This content layer is part of the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) layer of the generative AI tool. The RAG confines the LLM (large language model) engine to a subject-specific set of documents, thereby reducing, but not eliminating, the chance of hallucinations. This is why it’s always best practice to check any generative AI output.
Prompting and Privacy
Prompting also has ethical and privacy concerns. Depending on the product used, the information users input into a prompt may be used to continue training the AI model. There isn’t a guarantee that one individual’s inputs will be used in future answers for others anywhere around the world. Users should be careful with confidential information they have access to and not use it to prompt AI unless they are certain that their conversations with AI will not be used to further train the model. Users can protect themselves by scanning the tool’s privacy statement.
This protection is written into some contracts for AI products and is something we should actively look for when selecting products to provide to patrons. Data privacy is a critical component of AI literacy instruction, particularly in academic institutions where we have access to a range of data protected by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
The Decline of Critical Thinking?
In the context of higher education, there are concerns about the potential decline of critical thinking skills. There is fear that students may become reliant on AI to generate ideas, write papers, or solve problems without developing these skills and analytical abilities. However, these challenges also provide an opportunity to rethink how we teach. Faculty are already adapting—rethinking assessments, inviting students to critique AI responses, and using generative AI as a tool for deeper engagement.
At the University of Akron School of Law, we train students on traditional legal research processes first, then introduce them to how databases incorporate generative AI features. We provide concrete examples of hallucinations. We also have students work in teams to compare the answers generative AI tools give so they can see how the same prompt will generate a wide range of answers. We’re working to teach them when and how to appropriately incorporate AI into their research and writing processes so that they develop both fundamental skills and the ability to effectively prompt and critically evaluate AI-generated responses. This approach requires continuous refinement and expansion of our curriculum as the technology evolves.
Moving Forward Thoughtfully
Careful consideration should be given to whether generative AI should be included in every workflow or product. While this technology can be useful, it isn’t necessary or beneficial for all processes and products.
We need to consider ways the library can level the playing field for those who have access to this technology and those who don’t. Free accounts may not provide adequate opportunities, especially in some fields. Law is one example. Right now, many LLMs producing better law-related answers come with a hefty price tag. Library budgets have been stretched for some time, and this is one more area to consider when allocating funds to meet the needs of our patrons.
As we continue learning and experimenting with generative AI, we need to ask ourselves: Are we protecting our patrons’ privacy? Are we reinforcing our values of equity and access? Are we preparing students not just to use AI, but to understand it?
In Practice
Increasing Reading Comprehension and Engagement with Alethea
Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) needed a way to bring students’ reading comprehension up to college level.
Click here to read more about how they met this challenge using generative AI.
The Challenge
Established in 1991 as part of the State University System of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) officially started offering classes in 1997 and now serves over 16,000 students. Sixty-nine percent of the student population are full-time undergraduate students; roughly 20 percent of those students are first-time college first years.
As a regional university, FGCU’s “mission is to be a ladder, not a filter for our surrounding communities and those who make FGCU their university of choice,” FGCU’s Dean of Libraries Dr. Tracy Elliott explains. As Dr. Elliott notes, FGCU students often lack the reading comprehension needed for college level courses, particularly the critical thinking and information synthesization required for their choice of degree. This challenge significantly connects to the library, as fostering information literacy in the student population is a key tenet of the library’s mission.
As FGCU librarians searched for a GenAI platform that would support reading comprehension, they explored several of the GenAI features introduced by textbook companies already in use by the library—but the offerings lacked the skill-building needed on campus. “Students would be directed to the section of the textbook that corresponded with a question they would get wrong in their online homework assignments…this just sent them into a loop, when what they needed was assistance with interpreting the text. Students reported frustration and defeat,” Dr. Elliott says.
The Solution
Clarivate’s “AI-powered academic coach,” Alethea aids reading engagement and course completion through guidance of assigned reading materials. Able to integrate into a university’s Learning Management System (LMS), the tool provides faculty access to data on students’ interactions with the materials and touts itself as a time saver for instructors building coursework. A central feature of Alethea is its real-time assistance that can meet students where they are—and where they’re struggling.
Before selecting Alethea, FGCU had to consider the ethical concerns of GenAI tools that directly related to the information literacy challenges the library wanted to combat. Higher education stakeholders have raised issues with GenAI tools providing answers instead of guidance, supplying hallucinatory responses or sources, and offering biased interpretations of research. While there is a certain irony in seeking tools known for info lit problems to solve students’ lack of information literacy skills, FGCU found that a student-centered platform with customizable guardrails forestalled those concerns.
Dr. Elliott and the FGCU team searching for GenAI tools found that Alethea’s GenAI conversational agent—the AI Academic Coach—is designed to ‘center its knowledge’ on the content of the document, which avoids bringing in outside viewpoints and focuses students’ attention on the assignment at hand. In addition, instructors can control how much assistance students are provided with, so “the common issues found in other GenAI tools are not present in Alethea, in fact, it achieves the opposite,” Dr. Elliott states. Students may receive guidance, but they need to come up with their own answers and interpretations of the texts. In fact, Dr. Elliott found once students were introduced to Alethea, many of their own ethical concerns with AI tools subsided.
Implementation
To jumpstart the project, FGCU pilot leaders gave a demo of the Alethea to members of the involved departments—the university library, digital learning, the writing center—in addition to the Provost and department administrators. Dr. Elliott, who acted as one of Alethea’s instructors to better understand the library’s and other units’ roles in the pilot, underscores that what followed was a series of collaborations: “Librarians were needed to assist with content selection to avoid copyright violations and find texts that were machine readable. Instructional designers assisted faculty in setting up the Alethea application and the assignments, and the writing center helped students who struggled with summarizing vs. paraphrasing and quoting.”
As with any new project, a series of meetings ensued. Project leaders first met with the Alethea team to ensure student access to the platform and integration into FGCU’s LMS. After demoing the product to faculty, three instructors began using Alethea in the summer 2022 semester. In tandem, the pilot team developed instructional videos and a help center with FAQs to prepare for broader adoption. As more faculty joined the pilot, meetings between participating instructors, FGCU pilot leaders, and the Alethea team lead to key insights. Through these check-ins, faculty were able to learn from each other, finding the “sessions to be incredibly rewarding,” which helped spread the word about the product and increase instructor buy-in. In addition, some of this feedback Alethea developers incorporated in real time, such as allowing instructors to adjust the degree of GenAI Coach’s aid, which “allows the instructor to scaffold the assistance as they see fit, and to gauge the ability of each student with each required reading assignment of the course,” Dr. Elliott shares.
By the spring 2024 semester, instructors using Alethea totaled 15. Subjects included accounting, finance, and English, and most often covered general education credits or fundamental classes for degrees. Dr. Elliott observes that “adoption has occurred rather organically,” as faculty testimonies in support of the product helped spread the word.
Though clearly a team effort, the pilot demonstrated the FGCU library as uniquely positioned to spearhead experimentation with GenAI tools. The library had already assumed the role as a champion of information literacy. In addition, the library spotlighted Alethea’s ability to utilize copyrighted and licensed content, “lead[ing] to a greater return on investment of library collections and enhanced learning outcomes for students,” Dr. Elliott explains.
While subject librarians first took on the brunt of aiding faculty in finding course readings that worked with Alethea, library staff adopted additional roles as they experimented with the GenAI platform. Acquisition librarians were a huge help to faculty in ensuring copyright compliance and finding nontraditional alternatives. As the library anticipated, faculty using Alethea relied less on traditional textbooks and instead began to incorporate Open Educational Resources (OER), library-licensed content, and even wrote their own textbooks or utilized transcripts of their lectures. The library has also supported instructors who produced research on the pilot—journal articles, books, conferences—by covering their Article Processing Charges (APCs) and promoting their scholarship on campus.
Results (So Far)
To capture student and faculty feedback, project leaders first relied on faculty to gather student impressions. Starting in the spring 2024 semester, the strategy shifted to project leaders dispersing a survey directly to Alethea-using students, which “allowed us to determine if there was a difference in satisfaction by discipline, instructor, or use case,” states Dr. Elliott. The results revealed no differences in these variables, and “85% of students said they would recommend to Alethea to other students.”
In terms of the original goal of the pilot—increasing reading comprehension—faculty found, when comparing the same courses taught with and without Alethea, that students who used Alethea performed better than those who didn’t; results further indicated that students using Alethea gained faster reading comprehension when compared to their classmates. Dr. Elliott adds that there is a “transfer of learning” with Alethea-using students that continues through their college career: “Several students reported that they gained confidence in their ability to comprehend complex texts. Many were convinced prior to using Alethea that they believed they couldn’t learn from reading textbooks or journal articles.”
Instructors found students more prepared and better engaged in class discussions, both in-person and online. They acquired stronger writing skills, moving beyond simple paraphrasing or quotations. “Most of the instructors at FGCU report they are thrilled that students come to class not only having read the course materials, but with answers to the questions they plan to discuss further in class. A biology professor claims he has never had the level of engagement in class discussions as he is witnessing before he started having his students use Alethea,” Dr. Elliott says.
As for the future, Alethea continues to be a mainstay on campus, and the library hopes more universities will pilot the product to compare results. FGCU’s library pursues other GenAI tools, looking at products for research assistance, collections discoverability, digital archives accessibility, and research impact. This willingness to explore extends to instructors, who “continue to be cautious, but they are also more open to looking at GenAI tools that can improve student learning.”
Reading Room
A selection of multimedia content to fit your time commitment.
5 minutes
- Do language models have an issue with gender?, by Franziska Sofia Hafner. Oxford Internet Institute, 2025.
- Responsible technology use in the AI age, by MIT Technology Review Insights. MIT Technology Review, 2024.
- Using AI to create personalised study plans, JISC, 2025. Video below.
10 minutes
- What is AI ethics?, IMB, 2024.
- AI in Education: Friend or Foe? A Student Perspective #AILiteracyDay, by Vicki Davis. The Cool Cat Teacher Blog, 2025.
20+ minutes
- Clarivate’s New Generative AI Reading Engagement Platform: A Development Partnership Led by the University Library, by Tracy Elliot et al., 2025.
- How are universities enabling a more inclusive digital environment for their international students?, JISC, 2025. Video.
- Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI, with Tricia Bertram Gallant & David Rettinger. Teaching in Higher Ed, 2025.
Quiz Time
Test your AI literacy knowledge!
Discussion Questions
AI gives us a lot to think about. Share your thoughts in the comments!
- Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
- How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
Coming up
Next week Roslyn Metz, Chief Technology Officer for Emory Libraries and Museum, writes about AI Policy. We talk to Karim Boughida, Dean of Libraries at Stony Brook University, about establishing an AI lab.
Take me to the Table of Contents.
Know someone who might be interested in this micro-course? Share the registration page with your colleagues! Make sure you’re registered to receive all eight weeks directly in your inbox.
Learn more about Clarivate and Choice’s LibTech Insights.
153 responses to “Week 2: The Ethical Implications of AI”
-
Most of the students use AI to improve grammar, clarity, and organization of essays without asking it to generate work they submit as entirely their own.
I do not have specific examples of students or researchers using AI at my institution. My role is not directly involved in teaching or supervising research. However, I occasionally advise colleagues on the potential uses of AI tools and encourage them to explore these technologies where they may support their teaching, research, or administrative work
-
Folks at my institution use AI at different amounts with varied levels of enthusiasm and interest. A common use is taking meeting notes and creating summaries.
When I teach, I acknowledge where generative AI and LLMs can be helpful in the research process. For example, when thinking about how to generate keywords to later use in a database search, AI can help come up with options from a research topic.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution? How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
Outside of my role as a Library Tech, I am also a third year literature PhD graduate student and so far, I haven’t really seen any researchers and fellow students in my department use AI ethically. Quite the opposite; I’ve witnessed a first year writing studies PhD feed my and another student’s papers into chatGPT (without either of our consent) in order to generate feedback for a course, I’ve witnessed another third year literature PhD take questions our professor was asking us and type them into chatGPT to generate answers for discussion, and another write studies PhD used chatGPT to generate a CV. So yeah, so far, I have yet to see any students use AI ethically. For myself, I try not to use AI outside of spellcheck and potentially grammar (I’m fairly terrible with gramma lol). Having grown up and lived in California for the first 29 years of my life, I’m also incredibly conscious of how much is consumed by data centers so I do try and avoid it.
However, as a graduate teaching instructor, I, along with six other graduate teaching instructors, were asked to join a pilot first year comp. program at my university to incorporate AI into our Fall 2026 syllabus and assignments. As I’m planning it, I’ve decided to center the bulk of the teaching around teaching my sections how to better craft prompts so that genAI becomes less of a crutch/ghostwriter, and more of a writing tool/writing partner. I still have some kinks to work out so I don’t really have a lot to say on the incorporation of it. Feedback from my supervisors leaned positive so I’m hopeful that with some more practice and finetuning, the semester will go well.
(Also holy long comment.) -
Our University allows faculty to determine appropriate use of AI so I have not been incorporating AI into my information literacy classes so far. However, with the changes to Google Scholar and with EBSCO now using AI features, we will definitely have to give some thought as to how to incorporate AI without stepping on faculty or IT toes.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
I do not have examples of students or researchers using AI at my institution. I have recently made a shift from public to academic libraries. However, I have had a visiting researcher ask about AI tools available and if we teach students how to use them.How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
I do not have a direct role in teaching students, but do use AI tools with my team. I encourage them to use AI simulators to practice conversations, and other tools to generate SMART goals, test databases, and even generate audio files of PDFs to listen to longer documents while they work off desk. -
Great content!
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution? When students ask me for help on different stages of research I have been telling student that they can use AI to help with the stage. For example when they are developing a concept map I tell them they can use an AI to help them to come up with other keywords, but I also advise them that some of the terms might not work because they are made up and not indexed in any database.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
I am currently working with a team of colleagues to create an AI literacy course for all 1st years to take during orientation week. Also, when I go into the classroom to do guest teaching I will bring up the topic on AI and some tips on how to use it correctly -
thanks for info.
-
I am teacher librarian and I am still learning about generative AI, so I don’t have examples yet. I am really hoping to learn more about AI so I can integrate in our library lessons and teach our students.
-
One of the professors I knew shared his lecture videos with AI and asked it to compile the key points into a PPT. He was surprised by the accuracy the AI had provided in the PPT.
This is one of the best ways to use AI to prepare for lectures, by creating handouts that can be provided to the students during the class -
Students
Using AI to brainstorm research topics or refine research questions before consulting scholarly sources.
Asking AI to explain complex concepts (e.g., theories, methods) in simpler language to support understanding.
Using AI for language editing—grammar, clarity, and structure—while keeping the ideas and arguments their own.
Generating study guides or revision summaries based on their own notes.
Disclosing AI use in assignments when required by institutional policy.
Researchers
Using AI to summarize articles they have already read to support synthesis.
Developing draft outlines for papers or grant proposals, then rewriting with original analysis.
Using AI to help with coding assistance, data cleaning suggestions, or methodological clarification (with verification).
Employing AI for citation formatting, after verifying all references manually.
Teaching AI literacy
Discuss what AI can and cannot do
Highlight risks such as hallucinations, bias, and fake citations
Modeling responsible use
Demonstrate how to use AI for brainstorming, outlining, or editing—then show how to critically revise the output
Requiring disclosure
Ask students to briefly state how they used AI in an assignment (if allowed)
Designing AI-aware assessments
Focus on reflection, application, local case studies, or oral explanations
Ask students to critique or improve AI-generated responses
Embedding academic integrity
Reinforce that AI is a tool, not an author
Emphasize citation verification and original analysis
-
I talk with students about how AI can be used ethically for an assignment and what unethical use would look like, then we discuss the different outcomes of each approach for their assignment and beyond. It is important to situate students’ own engagement with AI in a broader context for the ethical implications to really make sense.
-
What I am illustrating to me students is that creative thinking requires the ‘human element’. When a student tells me they have no creativity, my response is that, that response, was a perfect example of creativity is- the thought processing of saying to yourself, creativity? and then saying I can’t do that is a process. So how do I create a process by creating a thought? Think about your birthday, the last day of classes, family. What comes to mind? These though processes are part of creativity. Now, as hard as it may sound, apply that same scenario to the course you are currently taking. You may not like the course but you had a choice when you spoke to your advisor about the classes you were required to take. Now you realize that the discussion required more input and more information which you did not have at the time. How do you correct this going forward? Thinking correctly, in the end, is a process that all must learn.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
I don’t have many specific interactions of students using AI. I did have one tell me that they used AI to help them with comprehension of Machiavelli’s The Prince. I’ve used personally have used it to help me with reading comprehension too. Or identifying themes in readings. It allowed me to take my thinking to a deeper level than I would have on my own.
So far I have come across one AI policy used in our Languages, Communications, and World Cultures department. It gives very clear examples of ways that it can and can’t be used. It also suggests that students save AI interaction histories, prewriting, outlines, etc. in the case that a professor contacts them about their work.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
-
I have a general powerpoint that I use for research instruction. I still need to update it to have some basic information about AI and new AI tools that some of our databases have.
-
-
I’ll never forget the time a doctoral student emailed me a list of citations he was having trouble finding. I checked every single one and also couldn’t find them, so they were clearly AI hallucination sources. I have noticed over the past year or so that AI has gotten much better and giving actual sources and more intentional about including the citations right in each answer. I have met with numerous students have talked about their process for having AI help them to brainstorm search terms or refine their research question, but they don’t use it to actually write the papers. I’ve heard a lot of worry from students that AI will decimate their future career fields and have seen an intentional push back from some on using it.
-
When helping students or doing research myself, I look at the answers generated by AI, but I also check the sources it references and other reliable websites. Just like I’ve always said in library classes about Wikipedia, AI can be a useful starting point, but it shouldn’t be the only source you use for your research.
-
A professor I know used ChatGPT to quickly create a short biography of himself that he needed for a seminar he was giving.
-
At my institution, we at the library often see cases where students will try to use GenAI to cite their sources for them. These are usually easy to catch because of the large number of errors. Therefore, the librarians have come up with classes that demonstrate how to use AI ethically. These are present both as individual workshops or a time when an instructor invites the librarians to be special guest lectures. The curriculum for these include such things as asking students to ask the AI the same question and demonstrate how they will get different answers. Overall, the results of these classes have been positive and we see less of students going straight to AI for citation and research.
-
We provide training on technological development vs academic integrity: technical perspectives on plagiarism detection and automatic generation, emphasising academic integrity and the values of intellectual honesty and ethical behaviour in an academic context, in order to ensure good practices in the production and sharing of scientific knowledge.
-
My institution created the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Academic Work guideline to support our Student Academic Honesty Policy. Faculty and our instructional technology team have also developed presentations and resources to guide AI use in academia.
I believe it’s important to recognize that students are already using AI, and we need to model and teach how to use GenAI responsibly and ethically.
-
We have done an activity to compare AI tools and our databases with the same research question. Also using to brainstorm resaerch topics.
-
In a field where research is continually being generated, AI tools are invaluable. Among the best tools available are those integrated with scholarly databases, such as Scopus, which facilitate easy retrieval of information. This integration helps researchers understand that for any knowledge product to be authentic, it must be thoroughly researched to avoid copyright issues, and references must be cited appropriately.
During my training sessions, I encourage researchers to summarize their thoughts using an AI tool. This approach helps create a write-up that clearly conveys their intended points, making it easier for those who contributed to shape the ideas to comprehend the information being presented.
-
Students and researchers have ethically used AI to support literature reviews and data analysis while maintaining academic integrity. In teaching, I incorporate AI as a tool to foster critical thinking, guide research, and enhance personalized learning.
-
We’re still in very early days at my institution. An AI council was formed a couple years ago, but until recently, it’s primary goal was to combat it, not to work with it. I think now the opinion towards AI is beginning to shift, and so while we’re now looking at ways to incorporate it into teaching, we have yet to make major strides in that direction.
Also, because of the institution’s negative attitude towards AI, all student usage of AI has been treated as unethical, whether it actually is or not. Again, I think opinions about that are beginning to change, so I’m hopeful that we will start having more positive stories to tell about AI usage. But we’re not quite there yet.
-
I’ve used AI tools is various info lit classes to varying degrees of success. One common thread I’ve found among the students is the concern that if they admit to using or trying out a tool for their assignments is the possibility of being accused of cheating. Initially, I was surprised but considering the emphasis we have on academic integrity and plagiarism, the students’ confusion and anxiety make sense. I think institutions need to clearly state expectations to students.
-
La mayor parte de los docentes de la universidad, han puesto en práctica IA para ensayos y en especial en investigaciones de posgrados para sus proyectos de finalización de carreras, advirtiéndoles que estén bajo un marco ético. Los estudiantes señalaron que es de gran ayuda sus herramientas bien utilizadas, su investigación fue más eficaz.
Los docentes indican a sus estudiantes que siempre es aconsejable adaptar plataformas diferentes para que sean aptas y así mejorara su aprendizaje.
-
He observado que ahora los estudiantes y docentes, dependen mucho de la IA, y confían al 100% de todo lo que ellos realizan o consultan. Sin embargo de acuerdo a lo que se va aprendiendo pienso que si es recomendable que la búsqueda de información pueden comparar, confirmar y tener mas criterios con bases de datos, con las otras fuentes de investigación.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
I have heard of faculty flipping research around a bit – having AI write the paper, and then have the students correct the paper. I do worry about the impact of AI on critical thinking skills. I’ve heard it being used to take notes – if they are accurate – I would have LOVED that (I am a slow writer who never figured out how to “properly” take notes and I missed half the class just trying to take the notes).
Currently – I have attempted to use AI to find real world historical examples that might be of interest to students. Sometimes it works really well – like it suggested “Coca-Cola” AND “brain tonic” in historical newspapers to find old ads. Sometimes, it provided search syntax that was not used in the database. Sometimes, it made up events (usually government related ones). I always tried to recreate the search or find the example before I ever adopted the use of that with students. I have thought about using the incorrect examples in class. I’ve also used it to come up with catchy titles – and that is also hit/miss (but I do like having something to brainstorm with at odd hours). I have thought about using it for information literacy instruction (have students track down citations or fact check an AI response or evaluate the AI response in various database AI tools – how helpful/accurate/useful is it), but I have not done it yet. Or maybe even teach a class on prompting (not that I’m great at that yet). -
I think its better to advise students not to 100% depends on the AI for their assignments and project, as the results provide the data stored in AI and not create a new knowledge. All the new research still need to be access from the subcription and open access contents. They also need to carefully check the sources/ references provided whether its exist or not. AI can be a guideline for their works and they shouldn’t copy paste all the AI results.
-
In the library, we’ve offered lectures on basic information about what AI is and how to use it appropriately. With this course, I’m learning more to share with students and faculty.
-
Estamos capacitando a toda la comunidad académica en el ética e integridad académica como base para la implementación de IA en la curricula futura.
-
I am still unsure of how we should be citing AI when it is used.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
We don’t have any examples yet.How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
We are starting to incorporate it into information literacy courses taught by the library. We showcase different AI tools and their various uses, such as article summaries, keywords for bibliographic searches, assistance in creating bibliographic references, etc. -
We are working on incorporating AI into our one-shot sessions. Currently, I include AI in our discussion of source evaluation.
-
Mostly teach using the AI tools we have in use and tell about problems of results given by those tools.
-
I’m afraid students on our university don’t have enough knowledge about how AI works, and they are mainly using it for making their student essays. They aren’t aware that AI often gives false and non-existent information and information sources. There is already lack of critical thinking skills among them.
-
There is a need for better understanding of AI.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
I’ll share what I do! A couple of my colleagues and I have developed some workshops for students about the ethical use of AI. There’s one that I have been teaching for several years now that focused on misinformation and disinformation, and generative AI has become a bigger and bigger topic in the workshops in recent semesters. In that workshop we focus more on identifying generative AI and deciding whether or not to reshare AI-generated content. The other workshop is called “Ethics of AI,” and we’ve been doing it for just a few semesters now. In that workshop we talk about all kinds of ethical considerations for AI, including how to use AI in more ethical ways.How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
I teach creative and emerging technologies, so I usually teach AI in terms of media generation. I live and work in Tennessee, so discussions of AI often include the environmental impact (we have lots of students from the Memphis area). I often like to compare tools (a free image generator and Adobe Firefly), looking at how each of them perform. I also teach students how to shape their prompts to get better results in fewer attempts. I also like to have students use AI tools to help them plan their multimedia projects, and then factcheck the results they get. As an example, last year I had a class making podcasts about AI and they used different LLMs to see what they needed to make a podcast. Different tools resulted in a huge variety of responses but all of them included a lot more information about generating ad revenue and getting a good podcast distributor, which was no help to a first year composition student that needed to make a 3 minute podcast for their class. I like to help students find the limitations of AI tools. -
Por lo general he visto que los chicos hacen uso de la IA para dos casos puntuales , obtener varios puntos de vistas al solicitar ejemplos y al buscar un resumen de información abarcar rápidamente temas extensos y una vez generado esto y verificada las fuentes se apoyan en dicha información como material complementario para sus tareas.
-
I know students are cuurently using AI, however as I am not in the classroom with them daily I can’t speak for how ethically they are using it.
When I do a library orientation session with a class we dicuss AI and some of its uses but I also make a point to explain to the students why they need to be careful with the information they find and use fromm AI.
-
Great questions to which I do not yet have an answer. So far we have only incorporated defining LLM and describing the need to attribute and fact check them if used. This is in our introductory library session.
-
If I were teaching AI, I’d incorporate hands-on projects where students build simple models, experiment with machine learning algorithms, and analyze real-world datasets to understand how AI systems learn and make decisions.
-
In recent years, AI tools have become increasingly accessible to students and researchers, offering powerful support in organizing, analyzing, and presenting information. Ethical use of these tools is critical to ensure academic integrity, protect privacy, and enhance learning outcomes.
By integrating AI thoughtfully, students and researchers can benefit from enhanced efficiency and accessibility, while maintaining high ethical and academic standards. Libraries play a key role in guiding responsible AI use, providing both the tools and instruction needed for informed, critical engagement. -
We know that students are using different generative AI tools, but we don’t know how they are using them in their research. The University has started creating spaces to talk about AI in higher education, to share experiences, discuss problems, and think about how AI affects different jobs and fields.
This semester, the Library launched an elective course called “Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Digital Skills for Research.” It is for students who want to improve their skills in finding, evaluating, managing, and using information ethically in academic settings with new technologies. It also encourages them to use generative AI in a responsible and creative way. -
Our District is still struggling with where we stand on the use of AI. Some instructors are diving in and finding relevant tools that can augment projects while others are applying a complete ban, including using tools such as Grammarly, since it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine how and to what extent students are utilizing various AI tools. The Libraries within the district are working to provide educational material on the use of AI, but it is currently on an individual campus basis, not district wide.
When relevant, I have been able to demonstrate to students how ChatGPT can hallucinate, very confidently. Using AI, however, has not yet become a regular topic of discussion during our Library sessions due to the varying levels of comfort of the instructors.
-
This discussion is interesting because it is still something new we are experimenting with. I have done a few exercises in class where AI criticizes what students have written and then they have to agree or disagree on the suggestions AI has given them. I still need to think about more uses I can make of AI in class.
-
We encourage students to fact check information provided by AI. We advice students to consult with their lecturer if they are allowed to use AI tools for their academics.
-
My institution has created a policy and is presently in the planning stage of how to incorporate AI into courses; therefore, I do not have any examples to share at the moment. However, I ask students to use ChatGPT to find information based on specific topics and ask them to evaluate the information and trace the original source to know if the information gathered was true or false.
-
In te course I teach we encourge the use of AI to generate ideas for research but they have to do the research and citations themselves. While there are many drawbacks to AI, it is here and students should be thought how to use AI ethically. While some institutions are choosing to revert to handwritten assignments it does not solve the AI issue. We may as well utilize it and teach students the uses and dangers of AI.
-
Hello, yes my institution has https://tec.mx/en/academic-integrity/artificial-intelligence and it is not only for the professors but also for the students use. As a librarian we try to incorporate that in our Library instructions and workshops.
-
At our institution the AI policy is still in draft. At the university library’s information literacy workshops, we explore students search behaviors to establish some understanding of the use of AI tools and the prompts used to elicit content. In over 12 workshops there have been few (at least 2) students who have declared active use of AI tools. We advised those students on the importance of evaluating the outputs for their prompts. However, we propose, based on the knowledge gained from this this week’s (Week 2) lesson we will be incorporating advice on how to build prompts that exclude confidential information to protect data privacy. Also, since most students’ information search behaviors admit use of search engines first, we currently advise them that these search engines use AI generated results and teach them how to evaluate both the results (to see if they incorporate sources) and the sources identified in the results. Finally, we currently advise students to refrain from incorporating AI in their assignments since the university’s AI policy hasn’t yet been finalized. We propose to continue observing and document the search behaviors of students to inform our teaching and to contribute to our university’s academic integrity policy for AI.
-
At the university library where I work, we’re starting to include some support for using AI in information literacy courses. In this course, I’m beginning to learn about some very interesting practices and solutions to apply in our own centers.
-
Our college library, we’ve been primarily focused on our new ALMA system, and coping with the transition from workflows. However, I’ve noticed a cold response from students who come in during the summer and find that they have to rely on the Librarian ChatGPT over the librarians themselves (like professors, they don’t work during the breaks). Many prefer the face to face interaction and communication over the AI, and it’s always painfully having to send them back to the computers.
-
In my library we have not started using AI, so I am in this course to learn from the experiences of other librarians and be better prepared when the time comes to implement it.
-
AI can be a helpful tool for learning, but it also comes with some big risks if it’s not used responsibly. It can make up fake sources, give wrong information, or even leak personal data if not handled carefully. That’s why it’s so important for students to double-check everything, give proper credit, and not rely on AI to do the thinking for them. In the end, using AI the right way means being honest, careful, and taking responsibility for your own learning.
-
At United States International University–Africa (USIU-A), both students and researchers have actively explored ethical uses of artificial intelligence (AI) across various disciplines. Their work reflects a strong commitment to applying AI in ways that benefit communities, enhance learning, and uphold ethical research standards.
One example comes from the School of Science and Technology, where faculty and students have collaborated on projects aimed at improving road safety. In a recent initiative, researchers used over 245,000 GPS data points collected from public transport vehicles to train AI systems capable of detecting road hazards—such as speed bumps and sharp bends. This data-driven approach led to the development of a prototype text-to-speech alert system that warns drivers about upcoming road dangers up to 100 meters in advance. The project is not only innovative but also grounded in ethical principles: it uses real-world data to solve a public safety issue while ensuring that the data is collected and applied responsibly.
In the Chandaria School of Business, an MBA student conducted a research study examining the use of AI tools in the telecommunications industry, particularly how these tools affect customer satisfaction among university students. The findings highlighted the positive role of AI in enhancing user experience—through personalized services and 24/7 customer support—while also emphasizing ethical concerns. The researcher addressed issues such as data privacy, transparency in algorithm design, and the importance of maintaining user trust. The study recommended that telecom companies prioritize ethical considerations when implementing AI-driven solutions.
USIU-A’s commitment to ethical research is further reinforced by its Institutional Review Board (IRB), which oversees all studies involving primary data. Whether a project involves AI, human subjects, or sensitive information, the IRB ensures that research proposals meet strict ethical guidelines. This includes protecting participant identities, obtaining informed consent, and ensuring that data is used responsibly. The IRB process reflects a university-wide culture of accountability and integrity in research.
These initiatives show that at USIU-A, AI is not just a technical tool—it’s a subject of thoughtful academic inquiry, a means of solving real-world problems, and a field where ethical considerations are central to every stage of development and application.
-
The ethical implications of AI revolve around issues like bias, transparency, and accountability in automated decision-making. As AI becomes more integrated into society, ensuring responsible use and protecting individual rights is essential.
-
Do you have examples of how students and researchers at your institution have ethically utilized AI?
Yes, students and researchers at my institution have ethically used AI tools in various ways. For example, some postgraduate students are using AI to transcribe and summarize interview data to streamline qualitative data analysis, with appropriate disclosure in their methodology. Researchers have also found AI helpful in literature reviews to find relevant articles and summarize important pieces of information, and again, they are independently verifying any AI-suggested ideas and citations.
How do you use AI in your teaching?
As an academic librarian with a focus on information literacy, I am beginning to explore the use of AI by exposing students to the responsible and critical use of AI tools. This includes discussions about how AI can help students when creating search strategies, summarizing, and managing citations. I always remind students to evaluate any content generated by AI they might use for accuracy and bias. I also tell them how I expect them to ethically acknowledge the use of AI tools in their academic work. I don’t use AI to formally instruct students, but I do use it as a teachable moment in the context of digital literacy and information literacy.
-
AI gives us a lot to think about. Share your thoughts in the comments!
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?Well I can’t think of any examples since I was recently hired and in these few weeks neither my boss or my colleagues have bring up the topic. But I have already incorporated AI into my work, I use an AI assistant designed exclusively for the use of the institution. I use it when I need specific information inmediately for example “what’s the difference between managed and brokered products?”
-
Every course at Chapman University is required to have a clause on the ethical use of generative AI. Every first year undergraduate student is also required to take a library instruction session where the ethical considerations and acceptable usage of ChatGPT and other AI tools are discussed. They are allowed to use it for brainstorming ideas, or guiding them in the research process, but must give appropriate citations.
As the STEM librarian, I have also given a workshop on using AI tools such as ChatGPT and julius.ai to analyze data and generate visualizations/graphs. I have found AI tools useful for coding but users must be aware of false responses. Therefore, I always highlight the ethical considerations whenever I’m teaching on AI as powerful and as useful as they may be. -
At my library we have been having the students recheck their sources when using AI. I am not sure how they are ethically using AI in the classroom as being removed from that part of it. But when the students are coming in with Hallucinations we are asking the question did AI help you with this, if so we need to find real sources for your papers.
-
There have been mixed feelings about AI on my campus. I think there is a fear of students being too overly reliant on AI and not learning the value of researching and fact checking. Personally, I have used it as an aid to create memos to hand out to staff.
-
I have recently started at a new institution, so I have yet to experience much in session time on the job. I know there is a strong desire from some faculty on my campus to integrate AI into the learning. Not just to inform students of how to use AI ethically or become more literate, but also because there is demand in the workforce for skilled AI use across multiple industries.
I’m looking for ways to incorporate AI into my teaching. This year I think will be a turning point in which I consider how to engage with the AI database supplements vs the traditional boolean structured keyword search. Is it still important to teach the fundamentals of database searching? I think databases have hit a critical mass of AI tool implementation. But yet, I struggle with how to do all these things in a one-shot instruction session. -
I don’t have any specific organisation examples of how my institution teaches ethical AI practices but I have heard that in some classes students are presented with AI generated reference lists and asked to access these sites and then work out where the original material came from (if they are not hallucinations). They are then asked to critically evaluate the sources of this information using the PARC test.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been asked to deliver any sessions on the ethical use of AI but with increasing discussion on this topic, I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future I am approached to deliver something along these lines. -
I am currently working on my masters in library and information sciences. When doing a class on research in libraries my professor did ask us not to use AI in our research papers and I am starting to now understand why.
-
I think it’s a challenging task to establish ethic practices about AI in our libraries but learning about other experiences in other libraries and studying the documents made by the experts, we can design a strategy to achieve it.
-
I incorporate AI when I’m training students even staff members information literacy skills. For example, I show them the differences between book, peer-reviewed articles again information that they find when using AI tools. Books and articles have undergone a reviewed process before they are published. On the other side information this might not be a case when it comes to information on AI – it might be biased and misleading.
AI is also known for generating authors and references that are not there. When using these AI tools, I inform them to have that in mind and use them with caution especially for their academic studies. -
I am a librarian working in institution of higher education. Our institution has not put any policies or guidelines in place on the ethical use of AI tools. However, as a librarian I am aware that students and staff members in general are using AI technology. I therefore sensitize them on advantages and disadvantages of GenAI during information literacy training classes. They understand when to or not use AI through the information literacy skills we teach from time to tine even though the policies and guidelines are not yet in place.
Having policies and guidelines on the ethical use of AI will benefit most and will inculcate critical thinking skills, evaluation skills and effective and ethical use of AI for especially for academic studies and lifelong learning. -
I haven’t had to teach AI in any of the one shot classes yet. So far, the professor hasn’t required the librarian(s) to focus on that. However, the library has put together an AI workshop for students, either as walk-ins or by appointments, but there hasn’t been any interest.
-
That’s a shame, but not uncommon:( I have the same issues. Mostly students are not utilising tools in the best way possible or are coming to me when they have fallen foul of unethical usage. I’ve started to think about how I market information sessions such as an e-mail or VLE announcement headed “Highly recommended” then teasing what they may not know they don’t know 🙂 It’s getting harder and harder to get the message across unless it is an embedded session, rather than optional 🙁
-
-
I don’t have examples of how students/researchers have used AI ethically at my institution, as I’m not a teaching staff member. The library has been testing out using Ex Libris’s Leganto AI assistant to help create reading lists as a starting point. All citations on the created lists are checked and corrected as needed by library staff before being handed over to academics.
-
At our institution, I’ve seen students and researchers use AI tools ethically, mainly as a brainstorming aid or to refine keywords for searching academic databases. They often rely on AI to help them articulate a research question or uncover relevant terms, which can improve the efficiency and precision of their literature searches—especially in multilingual or interdisciplinary contexts.
In my teaching, I incorporate AI literacy through dedicated seminars that cover the fundamentals of generative AI, its ethical implications, and the common pitfalls to avoid. I also focus on debunking myths and misinformation about AI, helping students develop a critical perspective on what these tools can and cannot do. It’s all about empowering them to use AI thoughtfully, transparently, and within the framework of academic integrity.
-
Just started to establish AI awareness with campus constituents.
-
I have not had extensive experience in using AI throughout my teaching, but I do make sure to help students understand that AI should always be taken with a grain of salt. Always check the sources provided by any AI toolk, eS
-
I enjoyed the YouTube video of 10-Minute Teacher. Those young students are well aware of the pros and cons of using AI. They shared insight about their peers’ understanding, or lack thereof, on using AI as a tool for learning and not as a replacement for doing the work themselves. I wish I’d been as mature as these two young people when I was their age!
-
Completely agree, Judy! I felt like that segment was one of the most influential for me this week. I often hear a lot from the faculty perspective or the professional scared of job loss, but the episode from 10-Minute Teacher gave me an important perspective and helped me to humanize the challenges of writing or completing assignments in a world of AI.
Bring back those blue book essays, anyone?
-
-
I haven’t had the opportunity to use AI chatbots in teaching yet. But I have worked with students in the library in verifying AI generated citations. Showing students how to look up AI generated citations by journal, title of article/book, and/or author. The students do find this frustrating when researching and writing their course papers.
-
So far in my experience I have noticed students using AI to write reflections and even a paper.
I have had students use AI to help them formulate a research question for a paper.
-
El uso de las IA en las clases se puede monitorear, el pedirles imágenes o información con sus referencias puede ser un primer paso, uno como Profesor también debe de controlar el uso de la IA en la preparación de clases pero si en algún momento la va a utilizar debe de referenciar la información que esta presentando, el buen juez por su casa empieza.
-
the usage of AI depend on personal thoughts. They can use it to retrive literature, generate idea or critical thinking, design plan of cources etc.
-
Students do use AI tools in doing assignments but i believe thay are doing it unethically and need more AI Literacy.
-
We have AI FAQs and supporting resources to help students to use AI ethically.
-
I am very aware that students at our university are using genAI on a daily basis in numerous ways. I know that the higher degree research students in my advanced information literacy skills unit are using genAI to write their assessment submissions despite clear requirements to not do so. The so-called AI-checkers are not up to the task and there is little we can do to stop them other than warn them about the consequences of unethical use and it being poor academic practice.
In my unit learning content, I am trying to raise awareness about responsible use by helping students to understand how genAI can support their research and complement their research skills rather than simply create shortcuts that render them incapable of carrying out research tasks without these tools. Most recently, I have added instructional guidance about using LLMs to unpack research questions to identify key research concept and search terms and also how to construct search statements that can be modified to suit specific databases and other search tools. I am also part of a project pilot to create a chatbot to answer FAQs that we get in the unit. -
I was involved in a project with a graduate nursing course with 300 +students enrolled who compared the results, abstracts, ease of use and preference of Elicit AI Research Assistant to PubMed and CINAHL on their specific Phenomenon of Interest (POI) topic. They compared the abstracts generated by Elicit with those of PubMed and CINAHL to determine if the generated abstract was accurate. Very interesting results from the project which can be found in my article, Fenske, Rachel F. and Otts, Jo Ann A., (2024) “Incorporating Generative AI to Promote Inquiry-Based Learning: Comparing Elicit AI Research Assistant to PubMed and CINAHL Complete.” Medical Reference Services Quarterly, Oct-Dec;43(4):292-305. doi: 10.1080/02763869.2024.2403272.
Interestingly enough, even if the abstracts generated from Elicit were not accurate or were ambiguous, some students still like using Elicit as a research tool based on the ease and quickness of results. The goal of the project was to introduce students to AI by allowing them to experiment with a research assistant tool in a classroom setting so they could learn how AI tools work and understand how hallucinations and inconsistencies can occur compared to traditional literature databases. It was hoped that they could apply this knowledge to their workplace environment as many of the students were working in a hospital or clinic setting. -
We’ve already experienced students using Gen AI to elaborate a reference list and present it as their own work. When verified, every single reference given was an hallucination. This is why it is so important for us to learn about AI Literacy ad for the institution to create policies on the use of it for academic works.
-
I usually find AI useful for brainstorming and organizing my thought especially for preparing presentations slides. Another example is incorporating AI into information Literacy lessons.
-
I like to give students the opportunity to create something with AI – like a quick story – related to their interests, and have them analyze where the AI creation overlaps with existing creative and/ or copyrighted works.
I’ve also asked GPT to create outlines with sources, and then have the students find/ verify the source material.
It helps to have an example or two where the scenarios play out to show the ethical and integrity violations because, let’s face it, this could backfire if you do it in real time! -
Good day fellow classmates,
I work in a college and in a research university, and thus far, I have no examples of students using AI ethically. Some of them I have heard discussing the amount of power AI uses and the horror of data centers for their energy use. I don’t see that knowledge is stopping students from using ChatGPT for random conversations and completion of academic papers. Students have been producing academic work without actually completing it or learning anything at all for decades now. Previously there were ghost writers who would do the work. Now, AI can easily complete the work for you. I’m very concerned that students have been socialized to expect instant, free information; now that they have ChatGPT/Claude/Copilot and for some, Disco/MagicSchool and other for educators; and SciSpace/Web of Science/Perplexity for deep research: “students” of all types are currently being encouraged to lose critical thinking and reasoning skills in favor of information returned to them through AI agents. What I have found is that if students ask me for assistance with using AI, I can then help them use the technology effectively to conduct research. The problem is that unethical uses of AI are so very easy for students to use, and their socialization toward instant gratification impedes their building up the “study muscle” that would propel them to perfect their own writing and reasoning skills (which would, by the way, help them capture the myriad mistakes and hallucinations that can occur in students’ work when they use AI indiscriminately to the create it.
Students are unaware of the concept of Explainable AI (Joshi, 2024) which suggests that any trustworthy AI model should be able to trace, interpret, and communicate how it arrives at its output. Requiring explainability helps the AI model and the student both to avoid hallucinations and incorrect data. Explainability supports critical thinking in students thereby making the AI less harmful in the long run.
-
I work in a government library and our institution has created an AI ethics toolkit, as well as guidelines on the use of Gen AI in our work.
-
Not only do I incorporate AI into our one-shot information literacy sessions with the basics on the appropriate use of AI in an academic setting, basically what it can and cannot be used for. Some examples of appropriate use are for brainstorming topics and narrowing down topics. Do not use to write your paper or locating resources.
-
Using AI ethically means citing and referencing your source and approaching it with critical thinking. I incorporate it in my teaching by advising library users to do the above.
-
My institution is still in the processes of figuring out how to address AI, so I don’t have much to go off of there. Our librarians are hosting their first ever summit on AI and the Academic Library this week, actually, so conversation on the topic is starting to happen on a larger scale, but there’s a lot of room for growth and education on the topic at all levels. I see lots of students using it for assignments, but they don’t talk to staff much about how they use it.
I haven’t really thought about how to incorporate AI responsibly into my work and teaching, which is part of why I was interested in taking this course.
-
1) Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
2) How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?First, I know that we have use of AI guidelines created by our writing center to help guide our students when they are using generative AI. I do know that my institution has piloted Althea and might begin integrating that more seriously (future information session). Many of the worries around AI are valid and some of the for me is privacy, proper attribution, as well as critical thinking skills surrounding research and AI use. I do think that future developments are keeping this in mind as this technology progresses.
2) As I am a new librarian, I have yet to look into how AI is included into my teaching but I will be considering it going forward. -
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
Being new to my current institution, I do not know yet of students and researchers using AI, but the college offers the following courses:
Applied Artificial Intelligence Certificate
Getting Started with AI
Generative AI (Gen AI): Getting the Most from Your Tools
Activate AI for Event Planning Excellence
Prompt Engineering with AI: Text and Image Generation
AI Enhanced Social Media Strategies
Generative AI Cybersecurity Awareness Training – Detect, Prevent & Respond to AI-Driven ThreatsI do know, however, that there is a task force for the college that has been studying AI policies for institutions of higher learning. They plan to share their finds with staff and faculty this fall. Our library is also looking at a product that uses AI Notes from ELUNA: Research Asst, Agentive AI for evaluating AI products.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
As a previous classroom teacher, I used AI to generate suggestions for creative ideas for instruction or assessments from time to time, and I found with a detailed prompt that AI could generate tiered rubrics for assessment. I also found it valuable to help me to administer feedback to students when the turnaround time was pressingly time-sensitive. Using terminology from my direct instruction or rubrics, I could ask the AI to provide targeted feedback comments to a middle school student, and then I could drop in a body of text that each student generated. Note: I would not include identifiers of students, and the writings were not of a personal nature. I then selected the comments that I found to be most helpful for redirecting the work of each student and pasted those comments to each student’s draft. Once I found my rhythm with that approach, I could move very quickly through my rosters. Finally, with four rounds of report card comments to generate annually, I used AI to help me generate a base pool of generic comments that I could use as a foundation for building in more specific comments to individual students. Using AI helped me cut down the number of hours it could take me to generate these reports, going from about 20-24 hours per quarter to about 12-15 hours.In terms of my student use, I had 6th graders who were all reading a shared novel generate images of eight characters from the book. They had to incorporate character trait details from the reading into their prompts, select an image to reflect how they pictured the character, and explain to their classmates why they decided on a final image.
In a 7th grade class, students reading Animal Farm created Instagram-styled posts from the POV of characters, centered around specific attitudes and conflicts from the reading. They were allowed to use AI to generate the image that accompanied their post. Some opted to use it. Others used AI to create components of the posted image, but they compiled the components into their final image independently in Canva.
Students frequently use AI for editing across the board. They also have been using Google AI to help them with quick facts and definitions.
-
Students have started using the AI to write their papers and don’t realize the instructors know it. They will use anything to keep from doing the work.
-
My school is still in the process of developing policies dealing with the use of AI by students and faculty. I am also new to AI tools and am still learning about this topic, however, some of the ethical uses that have been mentioned in discussions at my school have mostly focused on study aids (like flashcards/ notecards and study plans like the one included in the readings above, and practice quiz questions). My concerns in these discussions is that even with ethically usage of AI (such as the study aids) it’s not mentioned that students still need to verify this information as accurate before using it. I’ve helped students using AI for research that didn’t understand that the sources the AI tool provided them were not real (hallucinations) and they need to check those sources before incorporating them into their papers. I’m not sure how often that happens when students are asking for things like flashcards or practice quiz questions, and if they are taking the extra step of verifying the content provided by AI before studying from it.
-
Just noting that I posted a comment that was critical of AI (and the many “ethical implications” not addressed here) and it was apparently moderated out of existence. Nothing like free expression in the world of corporate training!
-
At the moment, I haven’t had any student approaching me with Al-generated content yet, however, I support the ethical use of Al as a brainstorming tool. I strongly advice students to verify any information that they include in their academic work because Al content is derived from human generated content, therefore, not all information is accurate, reliable, ethical and valid. Al does not always understand nuance or evolving context, it might replicate a tone from a past interaction even if it contradicts the current situation.
As a librarian, I always encourage students to use information responsibly by verifying it and using proper citations while integrating ethical use of Al in their academic work. -
Can anyone suggest the feasibility of going for Citizen Science initiatives on the ethics of AI usage? As a librarian, to my mind, this would be an intriguing endeavour in enabling popular awareness on the essentials of AI.
-
As a university library professional, information ethics is something that, to my mind, needs to be heeded while using the GenAI tools. In fact, at my institution, a History professor is now dealing with an intriguing topic of the concept of LLMs and the rethinking of historical narrativization. In this regard, I and her, both are of the opinion that there should be some large-scale Citizen Science endeavours on AI literacy and the allied concepts of ethics of AI usage.
-
I have not had the opportunity to observe how students and researchers have used AI at all, much less ethically. I have no doubt that they do, but I just have not experienced witnessing it as a subject librararin.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
So far, I have spoken with a journalism class about the ethics of using AI with assignments and have shared how the library where I work has seen an impact with AI in library services.
-
I have begun adding a brief discussion about AI tools as part of my general information instruction sessions. I discuss that while GenAI may seem intelligent, it is merely generating what it thinks is the appropriate set of words to an answer based on a potentially flawed and biased data set and training. I make it clear that depending on GenAI to write a paper with citations is also likely to be problematic at this time due to its tendencies to hallucinate answers, especially citations, and that this cheats them from learning information that may be useful in life and career. I also discuss ethical aspects of AI, such as energy expenditure and human labor in underprivileged countries.
However, I do not try to dissuade them from all use of AI, as I introduce them to research focused tools such as Consensus, Elicit, and Research Rabbit. These tools can provide better starting points for research that includes links to the actual articles that can provide them usable research and citations, and a break down of the information that can help them better understand the topics and information for their research papers.
-
My library received an interlibrary loan request for an article that that was proving hard to find… There was a second of doubt in our search abilities before the requestor shared they were trying to do due diligence to track down the “cited” article. Hallucinated by AI. An interesting first!
-
As the Interlibrary Loan person at my library, I find this interesting. If the requestor hadn’t shared that the “cited” article was AI generated, you may have always wondered why that article was so hard to find. I wonder if there’s a way to know that an article truly does not exist.
-
That’s a good question – I have asked AI if the listed references are real and it has been honest and stated that though it is an AI entity it does try to list real references but admitted several were made up or real journal titles but made-up article titles .. We suggest our students ‘challenge’ AI…
-
-
-
I often see students use AI for brainstorming, and I also see them use it to check their grammar/spelling as a few other people have noted in the comments. With Gemini and Copilot seamlessly integrating with student accounts, it is hard to evaluate the full use of AI by students. ChatGPT seems to be a favorite among students, although they are reluctant to share with me about how and when they use it. When I teach information literacy, sometimes I will use Gemini to show them an easy way to find synonyms for key terms. I hope I can encourage them to be confident in their use of AI and understand the implications.
-
Other than admitting to using Grammerly to edit papers, I’m not sure a student has ever admitted to me that they used AI. We have a fair number of faculty who are very anti-AI, so they may feel that they must keep their use under wraps. Although I’m not in a position where I teach directly, I do think there are many legitimate uses that can improve student work. Having complex ideas and themes explained in simpler language, using built-in AI tools in databases that provide key points, asking AI to find the most referenced papers on a topic, using AI like GoblinTools to break down all the steps of a larger project to assist with time management–these are all legitimate uses of AI that would boost student learning.
-
I suggest using AI as a tool to similar to the old days of Wikipedia. It’s a good tool for jumping off and getting some more basic references (if they are accurate and then we can go down that rabbit hole). I do not think I would teach AI for writing and creativity, but as another research tool where you can develop some ideas.
-
I do not have any examples from our university. The university is still in the planning stages of implementing AI use on campus and in classrooms, with it generally being in the hands of the professor.
As for teaching I have used AI to show the students the outcomes that come from a prompt and how it is important to review the output that comes from the AI. More or less getting them to use it as a tool to help in the process of research. After delving into more of the ethical considerations I’m going to try to have the students take them into consideration, if the professor allows. We still have to teach to what the professor would like us to cover in their one shots.
-
At my Institution, AI is used for Research purposes eg. Research Rabbit. The library is in the process of trialing the Web of Science Research Assistant. The university uses Turnitin but recently there has been a debate about whether or not to disable Turnitin’s AI’s detection feature as the aim of tertiary education should be deep learning and meaningful engagement with coursework not policing student behavior.
As a librarian, I don’t teach AI directly but feel that my role is rather to promote ethical and effective use of the tool. Presently, I am learning more about it so that I can create guides to this effect. -
1. Students and researchers may use AI to generate research topics. It helps in broadening areas of future research.
2. AI is a powerful and effective tool which should be incorporated into teaching. I find it quite provocative especially when developing course outlines and also how to navigate whatever landscape one finds self in. -
My workplace (University Library) has just begun to use a ‘copilot’ type of AI assistant. It has dramatically improved the grammar and sentence structures of student requests. The quality of research questions has also improved as they are brief and to the point.
This has increased our productivity as an information provider. -
Generally, AI has been used ethically in my place of work i various ways. We see and are also worried about the level of downfall when it comes to critical thinking, both with the students and researchers, and administrators. This is becoming a great concern. Secondly, there is a concern about AI giving non-factual information or results which, if not verified, can lead to misleading and. Also, there is a risk of giving too much information, or rather, personal information, which poses the question of the safety of the information.
AI has been used to help generate the faculty’s reports, notes preparation, and also in making the class notes summary and bringing to speed the students on what was taught in class. -
I work in a library and encourage my colleagues to use AI in their tasks to boost productivity. To achieve high-quality results, it is important to craft well-structured prompts that consider the context of the search. Ultimately, critical thinking remains essential.
-
I work at a public library, and we typically use GenAI for simple tasks using Copilot to create tables, for instance. While I can see the benefits of using AI for building literacy and critical thinking skills (such as analyzing outputs for hallucinations). But the research published by Oxford University calls into question *how* students are thinking critically with AI when LLMs are trained in data that is openly misogynystic/racist/transphobic/ableist due to the nature of being trained with information posted to the Internet by anyone.
-
1. Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
Yes — some students have used AI tools like ChatGPT for brainstorming or outlining essays, but always cited their use and verified the content before including it in assignments.2. How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
We encourage students to evaluate AI-generated responses critically by comparing them with library resources. It’s a great way to build both digital and information literacy. -
I think we are still adjusting to it. We have had workshops about AI. I am planning on having students who use AI to improve their writing to tell me. I had a student who used AI last semester. This student was not a primary English speaker. I just thought AI– without thinking about why. I did not know if AI generated the whole item or if it translated it. I need guidelines for usage in my courses from the start. AI assistance and AI generated are closely related. One can be ethical — the other not.
-
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching? Well, how I live each day, honestly. I work with adults who know more than just reading and writing.
-
I have been teaching about AI and how to use it responsibly, as well as the potential harms of mis/disinformation around generative AI. Currently, what my institutional library has been focusing on is responsible AI usage and also promoting specific AI tools to accentuate the research process but not replace it or replace the human input in the research and writing process. These have been well-received, but our students are very widespread in their familiarity with AI usage, much less ethical usage of AI, so we are working hard to address all of these different levels of comfort with AI tools and output.
-
My institution is still solidifying their AI Policy, although there have been many recent discussion of its use, best practices, and examples of how it might best be used by professors and librarians.
Our Library team has recently discussed AI research tools and made a Library Guide about what they are and how to use them.
We did a brief presentation in one of the main Research courses at our college. I focused on one called Research Rabbit. I talked about how this is a tool best utilized after doing research in traditional ways. We are waiting to have the AI Policy finalized before incorporating discussion of it into our instruction sessions formally. -
At our institution, the ethical use of AI is still developing, but there are some promising efforts underway. While I have not personally observed many students using AI ethically, faculty and staff are actively encouraging responsible use. AI “sandbox” training sessions have been introduced to guide both staff and students in understanding and applying AI ethically in academic contexts. Some instructors allow students to use AI for brainstorming and concept development, provided they maintain critical thinking and personal attribution in their work.
Although I do not teach a full course, I incorporate AI into library instruction sessions, particularly in one-shot and embedded models. I emphasize transparency by showing when and how I use AI, and I explain both its benefits and limitations. I also guide students on how to properly attribute AI-generated content using style guides like APA, MLA, and Chicago, noting that these conventions are evolving.
Our institution recognizes that AI is here to stay, similar to when Wikipedia came into the mainstream. The stance is choosing education over restriction. Instruction librarians are beginning to integrate AI literacy into their sessions as part of a broader information literacy initiative. The focus remains on using AI to enhance learning while ensuring that students still develop essential skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and ethical use of technology to extract information.
-
Dedicated staff at my academic institution are doing research and give training sessions on the use of AI. These sessions are called AI sandboxes. These were developed to assist in developing guidelines and / or policies with regard to the use of AI.
Some lecturers do not allow the use of AI, but most assist students with the ethical use of AI. They use AI to brainstorm difficult concepts. Students still need to develop the skill of critical thinking and adding their own personal attributes to assignments and research.
We as the academic library at the institution have developed two LibGuides on AI.
AI for undergraduates and AI-assisted Technology in Education. These guides are assisting the institution’s community on the ethical use of AI without losing important skills like critical thinking and own personal attributions.
Turnitin is used to detect plagiarism and AI use in assignments and research for quality assurance. -
I’ve used AI to showcase the crossover for class subject standards and library standards. To promote more classes into the library.
I have yet to have any student use AI ethically. It is a shame though we have not incorporated AI use, AI literacy, etc. -
As a librarian, I often point out to student using AI how important is to give credit to the author. With AI inventing non existing papers/citations, we have our hands full to instill in students the need to realize how important is to acknowledge the author/creator.
-
LIke many others commented, I have not had any students so far approach me about the use of AI. I did had faculty, asking how to detect AI, clear plagiarism, and what they do to combat this. I teach a research class and this semester I will incorporate AI to teach students to think critically, to see what is different about using AI, and what they need to do. Like the Internet or Wikipedia scare, AI is going to be here and grow. I understand many are against, but I believe that educating is better than preventing/patrolling the use of AI.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution?
We encourage our students to use AI as a tool to help them in their research and to always ask their professor if using AI is allowed.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching?
I do not teach but if I did, I would have the discussion of the appropriate uses of AI for their work.
-
Since I recognized that LLMs able to make an appropriate answer to all my assignments my student pass all exams orally.
-
I don’t have many examples of “ethical” use or any kind of AI use at our institution yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. I have used it to combine data between two spreadsheets but otherwise haven’t used it except to learn about it. I am working on another degree right now, and I was working in a group on a project where I am 95% certain one of the students wrote her part using AI–it was pretty obvious. I do believe our instruction librarians are going to start working AI information into their library instruction. We all know it’s inevitable so might as well teach them how and when to use it.
-
At my institution the use of Gen AI varies as we have yet to adopt a campus-wide policy. Right now, it is up to the professors to decide when/how AI tools are utilized in their classes and that differs across each discipline. Part of our larger information literacy initiatives on campus include AI literacy and a huge part of this discussion is how do we incorporate these tools without sacrificing critical thought/analysis. Our institution has found that offering explicit instruction, transparency, and examples of best use cases (per course) are helping to build a foundation towards responsible use. As a librarian who offers embedded and one-shot models of instruction I try to incorporate AI when applicable and always let the students and instructors know when I have used it, why, and how the AI tool was a good fit for my task. I am also quick to point out when/how AI doesn’t quite hit the mark or actually hinders my ability to accomplish/complicate a task. We also talk a little about how to attribute the use of AI depending on the different style guide, APA, MLA, and Chicago at the time of instruction. I always let my students know this could change in the future as policy surrounding AI changes and adapts.
-
I haven’t had students approach me yet with AI-generated content in their assignments. That said, I fully support the ethical use of AI as a brainstorming or sounding board tool for projects. If students choose to incorporate AI- generated material into their academic work, I would encourage them to fact check any quotes, statistics, or interpretations they include- just as they would with any other source.
One important aspect I try to emphasize is that AI models are trained on human- generated content, and not all of that content is ethical. accurate or unbiased. AI may pick up on certain patterns in language use and repeat tones, phrases, or arguments that aren’t appropriate for academic context. It doesn’t always understand nuance or evolving context. For example, if a faculty member or student uses a specific phrase, the AI might replicate a tone it “learned” from a past interaction using similar language, regardless of whether it fits the current situation.
As librarians, our role includes helping students critically evaluate not just traditional sources, but also AI-generated responses. Encouraging responsible use, verification of information, and a clear understanding of what constitutes original work are all part of integrating AI ethically into academic settings. -
I wouldn’t call it an institutional example so much as an anecdote about a specific student population, but I do have a sort of example! I work very closely with a number of international students–especially those who are brushing up on their English or struggling with technical terms for certain subjects in English. Starting with one student and then spreading, they used AI to summarize readings with too much jargon for their current comprehension level, and a number of them went on to use AI (ChatGPT specifically) to help structure outlines for both essays and class presentations. While some relied more heavily on the chatbot than others, it proved invaluable. My only part in this was assisting in language navigation and teaching them how to cite AI generated content correctly, as well as encouraging them to have conversations with their instructors about their AI use.
So far with my own teaching–especially as my institution doesn’t yet have a comprehensive AI policy–AI is relegated to AI literacy exercises. Right now, this involves showing students how to check ChatGPT’s sources, showing students what hallucination looks like and how easy it is to ‘break’ a chatbot to make it hallucinate, and the basics of crafting questions for the AI they want to use.
This will likely change in the future, but that will have to wait until I have some guidance from the administration.
-
I haven’t had students approach me yet with AI-generated content in their assignments. That said, I fully support the ethical use of AI as a brainstorming or sounding board tool for projects. If students choose to incorporate AI-generated material into their academic work, I would strongly encourage them to fact-check any quotes, statistics, or interpretations they include—just as they would with any other source.
One important aspect I try to emphasize is that AI models are trained on human-generated content, and not all of that content is ethical, accurate, or unbiased. AI may pick up on certain patterns in language use and repeat tones, phrases, or arguments that aren’t appropriate for academic contexts. It doesn’t always understand nuance or evolving context. For example, if a faculty member or student uses a specific phrase, the AI might replicate a tone it “learned” from a past interaction using similar language, regardless of whether it fits the current situation.
As educators, our role includes helping students critically evaluate not just traditional sources, but also AI-generated responses. Encouraging responsible use, verification of information, and a clear understanding of what constitutes original work are all part of integrating AI ethically into academic settings.
-
I have no examples of ethical use of AI at my institution. I am not certain that the question even makes sense because it is not readily obvious to me that there is an ethical use of a machine built on outright theft, exploited labor, and environmental degradation. But even within the definitions of this course I’m unaware of any successful uses because it is either being used to cheat or people are finding there are better ways to do the work they are asking of it.
I avoid incorporating AI in my teaching. I want my students to feel that they can trust they are working with an educator who cares about them and their learning experience and will not offload the intimate work of educating to a machine. Where I do use AI tools it is only as a demonstration as to how to apply those skills enumerated in the ACRL IL Framework to think about AI outputs and why they should be avoided in most situations.
-
This is a fantastic comment, Craig, and I feel the same way.
-
Thank you!! *Wild* to me that a unit nominally addressing “ethical implications of AI” does not even pretend to acknowledge any of the critical issues you raise. The boosters are all eager to talk about “How?” — in a desperate attempt to stop us asking, “Should we?”
I could also see these objections coming from students who are assigned to use ChatGPT, Copilot, etc., for some particular project. Have instructors incorporating gen AI into their assignments considered what they’ll do when a student says they don’t want to use a tool that does this kind of harm?
-
-
Faculty and teachers are good at using AI but students are weak in using AI at my university. I think faculty-librarian collaboration can contribute to incorporate AI in the university. Students of LIS profession is comparatively better than others’ department in using AI in this university
-
Faculty members are ethically very honest to use AI in their teaching and research activities on the other hand students are mostly not aware of using AI in their course work ,assignments and learning in my university. Faculty-librarians collaboration can contribute a lot to train students using properly AI in their research and writing.
-
At my institution AI has been used as a tool for brainstorming ideas, providing overviews as a starting point and analysing large datasets. In order to use these aspects ethically researchers understand that AI systems need to be correctly cited and any analysis should be verified by a comprehensive process.
-
As a literature postgraduate now working in the corporate sector, I’ve seen students and researchers use AI ethically for textual analysis and citation assistance, always ensuring proper attribution.
In my current role, I incorporate AI tools to streamline my tasks and organise research. I believe in using AI as an assistance system rather than replacing the original thoughts. -
I’m working on putting together a faculty development workshop on AI Literacy. The main goal is to get faculty to, at the very least, discuss AI ethics with their classes – whether they’re wanting their students to use or avoid AI.
In the library, I’m planning on teaching AI as one possible tool for research and information access. I think it will open up a good opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of all the options we have available and why it is still important to utilize a variety of tools. -
When working with students or researchers to find information, I will look at the AI generated answer, but will also look at the links referenced from that answer as well as other sites that have been evaluated. Like I have always said in library instruction classes regarding Wikipedia, and now AI, use it as a starting point, but don’t let it be your only research point.
-
I have worked with students to use AI for brainstorming topics in areas they’re unfamiliar with, and have provided examples of how they can “show their work” in their output through citing in the required citation format and directly indicating which topics they’re pursuing were developed with the assistance of AI.
I use it to refresh lesson plans that I’ve used in the past, I’ve used it to develop discussion questions, and to transform outlines into presentations.
-
Do you have any examples of how students and researchers have used AI ethically at your institution? In one class a professor showed how to use AI for idea generation. She gave it a problem to solve and the suggested solutions became keywords or starting places for students to research. Another faculty used, if I am understanding correctly, Google LLM as a place to collect research over the course of a semester.
How do you incorporate AI into your teaching? I’m still considering this. I think it would be good to have the students search for citations and then teach them how to verify the citations on the list. I’m eager to hear about lesson plans from my colleagues. I know the Info Lit Framework has a corresponding toolkit. ACRL should consider developing a similar toolkit of AI assignments!
-
I primarily work with students when I am on the circulation desk. When I get interesting questions and need to do a super quick search (students always seem to be in a hurry!), I will relay the information given by the AI search but also will say, “Let’s see what the other sites say to see if it confirms these findings…”. Or sometimes I will just go straight to a trusted site and let the student know that, so they can feel comfortable using it too versus depending on AI. I would like to learn how to find how to get the source from AI answers or to know when generative AI is being used.
-
When you do a quick search using AI, could you give me a sample prompt that might bring up reliable sources? I am really wrestling with this and am glad you tell students about confirming their results in a trusted source and also having them go directly to a trusted source.
-
-
Is there an AI that generates a transcript of podcasts? I don’t doubt the quality of the podcasts linked, but I would very much prefer to absorb the information from text than from audio.
-
Will the environmental costs (electricity, water use) associated with AI be discussed in the course? That’s definitely an ethical issue. 🙂
-
I have not incorporated AI into my teaching yet. Still trying to navigate AI’s complexities. There is an excellent support system at my institution navigating the incorporation of AI, I just need to catch up.
-
In high school research skills instruction, we compare and evaluate in class discussions the results of information searches with databases, Google, and AI tools, such as Perplexity, Gemini, Co-Pilot and ChatGPT. All students can offer an evaluation of both the use of the tool and the resulting output, prompting critical thinking insights and a sense of academic integrity and how this can be initially interpreted differently in a range of cultures. Students who speak the same language can help translate to classmates so there is no language barrier. As the librarian, I demonstrate and evaluate the outputs of these tools, and I teach accurate and clear citation of AI tool use, just as we would cite databases and online articles, so that the thinking and learning process is visible.
-
I like your approach of comparing results from the various AI tools. But do you also try using a Library database in the comparisons?
-
-
I am not aware of students or researchers using AI. Staff use it to take meeting notes and/or summarize meetings (which I wonder how accurate the summaries are). I don’t teach, but have used AI to generate outlines for projects, meetings, etc.
-
At my institution, an English instructor has modeled her expectations of AI use for her class. She includes attributions to AI in her presentations and course materials, as well as links to transcripts. This shows that AI literacy and ethical use is everyone’s responsibility and holds the instructor to the same accountability standards as the students. Many of the students seem to respond well to this approach and contribute all necessary components (citations, transcripts, etc.) in their work submissions.
Take me to the Table of Contents.
Leave a Reply