AI USAGE POLICY

If AI is employed too early in a Learner’s process, it can easily overwhelm the process and do the thinking for the Learner. This is especially problematic in humanities and education contexts that emphasize critical thinking. Using AI too early can undermine the learning process. 

It can be useful to seek AI guidance early, to get ideas or to develop an understanding of the current understanding of the scope of a topic. However, rather than helping with the process, using AI early can actually hinder it. While the quality of LLM outputs is improving constantly, there are limitations in how LLMs find information, and they can even hallucinate (present entirely false information as factual). Further, LLMs might suggest a factually correct path of inquiry and thought that may still not be the best approach for that project. 

Instead, it is best to follow assignment steps meticulously and avoid AI at the early stages of a project. This will help the Learner to think more clearly and learn to process arguments and information rather than using the product of someone else’s thinking. 

After completing each step of the assignment, then it can be helpful to use AI to see its process and discover things that might have been missed in the process, and then go back and adjust the work as needed. This will help develop good thinking skills, and improve speed at processing information. Using AI in this way – as a tool for refinement – will allow the work to remain the creative product of the Learner rather than being a reformatting of someone else’s thoughts.

Citing AI Resources

When using AI, be sure to it is cited properly. Use inline citations and footnotes as appropriate, and be sure all AI tools (including LLMs) are cited on the bibliography page. For necessary transparency, explain how AI was used and at what stage of the project it was employed.

AI and Intellectual Integrity

All submitted assignments are to be the creative work of the Learner. Any use of AI that hinders that creative process or that results in the submitted work not being substantively the creative work of the Learner is a misuse of AI tool. Not only does misusing AI negatively impact the learning process, it can also result in intellectual dishonesty and can have significant negative implications. Please review the Agathon University Standards of Intellectual Honesty Policy for more information.