Skip to Main Content
Skip to Library Help widget
 
 

Artificial Intelligence

This guide discusses generative AI tools available for research, with tips for writing prompts and citing AI generated content in your works.

Academic Integrity, CSUN Policies, and Student Code of Conduct

Academic integrity, a commitment to honesty, fairness, and responsibility in all academic endeavors, is a core value across the California State University (CSU) system. It's the expectation that students, faculty, and staff act ethically, respecting the intellectual property of others and upholding the principles of honesty in their work. Violations, such as cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication, are taken seriously and can result in penalties, including failing grades, disciplinary probation, or even suspension. This information was obtained from a Google AI Overview. 

In order to maintain academic integrity using generative AI, CSUN students should: 

  • Know whether your professors allow the use of AI tools in coursework, each course may be different. 

  • Follow any professor provided guidelines for using AI tools in coursework.  

  • Make certain you are completing the coursework that is being assessed. Use AI tools for assistance rather than as a replacement for critical thinking and work product.  

For more information see the following resources: 

CSUN University Library Academic Integrity Libguide 

CSU AI Commons 

Additional Citation Resources: 

CSUN University Library Citing AI

Princeton University Library Generative AI Libguide 

Purdue University Library Artificial Intelligence Libguide 

St. Catherine University Library AI for Students Libguide 

Benefits of Generative AI

When used ethically, generative AI tools offer many potential benefits for students. 

1. Personalized Learning Support

  • Tutoring: AI can explain complex topics in simpler terms, answer questions, and adapt explanations to a student's level. 

  • Study Aids: It can generate practice quizzes, flashcards, summaries, and mnemonics tailored to student needs. 

2. Enhanced Writing and Communication

  • Drafting Help: Students can use AI to brainstorm ideas and create outlines.

  • Feedback: AI can offer suggestions on grammar, style, tone, and structure, helping students improve their writing iteratively. 

  • Language Support: For non-native speakers, AI can assist with translation, vocabulary development, and clear communication.

3. Research Assistance

  • Information Discovery: For information that is solely web-based, AI tools may be able to help students find relevant sources, summarize articles, and suggest keywords or search terms. 

  • Citation Help: Some tools can generate citations in different formats or help with managing sources. 

4. Creativity and Expression

  • Creative Projects: AI can assist in generating art, music, stories, and videos, helping students bring creative ideas to life. 

  • Brainstorming: It can help overcome creative blocks by offering prompts, variations, or alternative approaches. 

5. Accessibility and Inclusion

  • Support for Disabilities: AI tools (e.g., text-to-speech, speech-to-text, visual descriptions) can make learning more accessible for students with different needs. 

  • Pacing and Flexibility: Students can learn at their own pace and revisit content as needed without pressure. 

6. Time Management and Productivity

  • Planning Tools: AI can help organize tasks, set study schedules, and break down large assignments. 

  • Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks (like formatting or grammar checks) frees up time for deeper learning. 

7. Skill Development

  • Critical Thinking: When used critically, AI can prompt students to evaluate the accuracy and bias of machine-generated content. 

  • Digital Literacy: Engaging with AI tools builds awareness of their capabilities, limitations, and ethical implications. 

Note: This list was generated by Chat GPT with slight modifications. 

Ethical Considerations

The following highlights several considerations for using generative AI tools i.e. ChatGPT, image generators etc. regarding assignments and coursework. 

1. Academic Integrity

  • Plagiarism: Submitting AI-generated content as one’s own work without proper acknowledgment is considered plagiarism. 

  • Cheating: Using AI to complete assignments, tests, or projects intended to assess personal knowledge undermines fair assessment. 

2. Transparency and Attribution

  • Students should be transparent about when and how AI is used in their work. 

  • Some instructors or universities may require specific citations for AI-generated content, just like any other source. 

3. Critical Thinking

  • Overreliance on AI can limit opportunities to develop original ideas and critical thinking skills. 

  • Students should use AI as a tool for learning, not as a substitute for it. 

4. Bias and Misinformation

  • AI can generate biased, misleading, or inaccurate information. 

  • Students must critically evaluate and fact-check outputs, especially in research or argumentative writing. 

5. Data Privacy

  • Uploading personal or sensitive information into AI tools may risk privacy, especially if the tool stores or uses data for training. 

  • Students should avoid inputting confidential or identifying data. 

6. Equity and Access

  • Not all students have equal access to high-quality AI tools or the digital literacy to use them well. 
  • Institutions should consider fairness when setting policies around AI use.

7. Copyright and Intellectual Property

  • Some AI tools may generate content that closely resembles copyrighted materials. 

  • Students should be cautious about using such content in projects, especially if the work will be shared or published. 

Note: This list was generated by Chat GPT with slight modifications. 

Report ADA Problems with Library Services and Resources. Resources on this page may require Document Viewers