The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic writing has become increasingly common, with tools like ChatGPT offering students a quick way to generate essays, improve writing and assist with research.

While AI can be used in other situations, its growing presence in academics raises serious concerns about academic integrity and critical thinking.

AI programs are capable of generating long passages of text, and the thought of having a tool that can answer any question or write about any topic is definitely tempting to a busy university student.

However, we have to think about where the information is coming from.

Plagiarism and academic integrity

One of the most dangerous consequences of using AI is knowing that most of the material it produces has been stolen from other writers.

I learned about plagiarism and its effects when I was in middle school.

Taking someone’s hard work and presenting it as your own has always been taboo to me.

“As AI technology improves, distinguishing between human and AI-generated text could become even harder.”

My first-ever English class at Memorial, English 1080, had a dedicated lecture on the consequences of plagiarism.

Since then, most of my professors have disclosed their rules on plagiarism.

All of them have said that plagiarism on an assignment will receive a zero. These professors are a part of multiple faculties and departments, including Classics, History and Folklore.

According to Catherine Couturier, a professor of educational science at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, surveyed 900 students and found that 22 per cent were already using ChatGPT (sometimes, often or always) to do their assignments.

While some AI tools can detect AI-generated content, they are not always accurate, making it difficult to enforce academic integrity effectively.

As AI technology improves, distinguishing between human and AI-generated text could become even harder.

Loss of originality

Another big issue of using AI is losing humanity behind the words.

“You cannot recreate unique perspectives, creativity and critical thinking that writers bring to their work by a machine.”

Brenden Clugston from University Canada West says:

“The lack of human touch is a critical disadvantage of AI in education, leading to a dehumanized learning experience. Traditional education relies heavily on human interaction, with teachers providing not only academic instruction but also emotional support and mentorship.”

You cannot recreate unique perspectives, creativity and critical thinking that writers bring to their work by a machine.

Academic writing is meant to contribute new ideas to a field. AI cannot replicate the innovation that comes from human thought.

So, what do we do?

Our future and the use of AI

While AI offers convenience for academic writing, its potential dangers cannot be ignored.

We need to make sure that using AI in academics is managed properly.

As a student who is about to start their master’s degree in post-secondary education in the fall, this affects me in my current studies and my future career.

I want to become a professor who fosters student growth, both academically and creatively.

I just hope that the use of AI technology won’t ruin that.