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Information Literacy & Artificial Intelligence

Considering AI through a library lens

AI: Assistant, Collaborator, or Thief?

AI can serve multiple functions in your academic journey, each with different ethical implications:

Assistant

  • Generating search terms for library databases
  • Breaking complex assignments into manageable parts
  • Creating a study plan tailored to your learning style

Collaborator

  • Organizing research notes
  • Explaining challenging concepts
  • Creating visuals to illustrate ideas
  • Organizing a jumble of ideas into an outline

Human collaboration offers unique benefits that AI cannot replicate

  • Social connection and relationship building
  • Diverse perspectives shaped by lived experiences
  • Expert guidance from professors passionate about your success
  • Insights from your peers that challenge and expand your thinking

Campus resources for human collaboration

  • The Lorenzo A. Ramirez Library - drop in or book an appointment!
  • Your instructor's office hours
  • Canvas course discussion boards
  • The Writing Center, the STAR Center, the Math Success Center, and the Language Lab
  • Student clubs on campus

Thief

When AI use crosses ethical lines:

  • Submitting AI-generated work as your own
  • Using AI to bypass learning
  • Letting AI make critical decisions for you

If you prompt a bot to complete an assignment and submit its output, you're allowing convenience to steal an education from you. Clear writing is clear thinking. Regardless of how generative AI changes society in the coming years, you will need to have knowledge in your brain in order to make use of AI. 

Academic Integrity

SCC's Academic Integrity Policy

Students at Santiago Canyon College are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. To falsify the results of one's research, to steal the words or ideas of another, or to cheat on an examination corrupts the essential process by which knowledge is advanced. Academic dishonesty is seen as an intentional act of fraud, in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic exercise. We, as an institution, also consider academic dishonesty to include forgery of academic documents, intentionally impeding or damaging the academic work of others, assisting other students in acts of dishonesty or coercing students into acts of dishonesty.

Maintaining Academic Integrity When Using AI

  • Always check your course syllabus for specific AI policies
  • Verify AI-generated content
    • Cross-check information with reliable sources
    • Don't assume AI outputs are accurate or complete
  • Cite AI tools appropriately
    • See the citation guidelines below

Citing AI

When to Cite

Always cite when:

  • Using AI-generated text, even if edited
  • Including AI-created data or analysis
  • Using AI for translations
  • Incorporating AI-generated code

You may not need to cite when:

  • Using AI only for brainstorming
  • Getting help understanding concepts
  • Using AI for personal research organization

How to Cite

If you use AI to generate content that appears in your work, cite it like this:

MLA 9th Edition: ChatGPT. "Description of prompt." ChatGPT, version used, OpenAI, date of interaction, chat.openai.com.

APA 7th Edition: ChatGPT. (Year, Month Day). [Description of prompt]. ChatGPT (version used). chat.openai.co

Broader Ethical Considerations

AI and Bias

AI systems reflect the data they're trained on, which can perpetuate existing biases:

  • Who creates the training data? Wikipedia, for example, has predominantly male editors (90% in 2018)
  • What perspectives are included or excluded? As of December 2024, only 20% of Wikipedia biographies were about women
  • Whose voices are amplified or silenced? Consider which demographic groups might be underrepresented

Environmental impact

AI systems require significant computing power and energy. Consider using AI thoughtfully and purposefully. For simple information (like definitions), traditional search engines are more environmentally responsible.

Labor and Attribution

AI models are trained on human-created work. Work that was created with massive amounts of time, energy, and passion. Consider accessing the original content referenced by AI, to appreciate the authentic human voice.

Preservation of Knowledge

As AI tools advance and become ever more ubiquitous, critical thinking and research skills are even more important - not less! 

Terms of Service

When using AI tools, be aware that:

  • Your prompts and responses may be stored by the applications
  • This data may be used to train future versions of AI systems
  • Different AI systems have different privacy policies
  • Some AI tools censor or restrict information

Remember that AI should assist your learning, not replace it. The goal of your education is to develop your own critical thinking skills, knowledge base, and unique perspective—things that AI cannot provide.