Responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence
The emergence of generative AI and large language models presents significant legal and ethical considerations regarding authorship and intellectual ownership. To uphold academic integrity, it is essential that all contributions are thoroughly documented, and that scholarly writing adheres to principles of transparency, ethical conduct, and integrity. The use of AI to create any educational content should always be acknowledged with appropriate referencing. In the case of open content creation, The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education has developed a values-based approach to the creation of open educational resources (OER) using AI. Its guiding principles on the responsible use of AI are designed to mediate the ethical tensions that can arise where the development of OER such as textbooks involves AI.
The Do’s and Don’ts of using artificial intelligence for developing open content
Table 3.1
Tips on using AI to develop open content
| DO's | DON'Ts |
|---|---|
| Do disclose AI use, by acknowledging the use of AI in your work. Refer to Chapter 5 on Recording and Referencing your use of AI. | Don’t use AI without informing your co-creators of an open textbook. |
| Do check for bias in AI outputs to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or discrimination. | Don’t assume AI is unbiased — as AI relies on human-generated data, it might replicate or even amplify existing prejudices. |
| Do verify AI-generated content to ensure accuracy and reliability before using it in your open textbook. | Don’t input confidential or sensitive data into AI tools, as they miight store or share information in ways that compromise security. |
| Do ensure privacy by safeguarding personal, proprietary, and confidential data. | Don’t credit AI as an author. AI-generated content requires human oversight and responsibility in content creation. |
| Do evaluate AI tools for reliability, security, and compliance with RMIT values before integrating them into your content creation process. | |
| Do ensure compliance with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), which sets out key principles and responsibilities that uphold integrity in research and scholarly activity. See also: https://www.arc.gov.au/about-arc/program-policies/research-integrity/australian-code-responsible-conduct-research-2018. |
