Unit 3: Summarizing and Responding to Writing
15 Summarizing and Generative AI
Am I allowed to use Generative AI in ESL 117 Academic Summaries?
One of the main objectives of ESL 117 is to teach you strategies to become efficient and effective readers who can use information from published sources appropriately in your own writing. We encourage you to do this reading and writing using your own English, without reliance on artificial mechanisms of language production.
Your instructors, however, recognize the increasing use of AI in classrooms and its potential usefulness for language learners. Therefore, you will sometimes be allowed to use AI in ESL 117, but only in specific activities and only as directed by your instructors.
Generative AI in Academic Writing
Your instructors want you to recognize how problematic it would be to ask AI to produce major written assignments and submit them as if you had written them. This includes academic summaries and essays in ESL 117 and research papers in future courses. Besides being unethical, the following are major issues with exclusive AI reliance. Please read attentively:
1. Lack of Authenticity and Truthfulness
Generative AI can produce information that seems factual but is often incorrect. In academic summaries, AI may not accurately capture the genuine main ideas from any article that you are to summarize. AI’s production of inaccurate information is sometimes referred to as “AI hallucinations”. Specifically, consider the following points:
- While Generative AI tools may appear to comprehend the content of a summary article, their understanding might not match that of a human mind.
- Generative AI tools often rely on additional sources found on the internet to produce a “summary”. This can lead to inaccurate summaries, which violates the basic principle of objectivity and accuracy.
- Generative AI can easily fabricate false information, including artificial main ideas.
- Many AI models generate outputs that are carefully crafted to seem convincing. However, the apparent “objectivity” of AI can be deceptive. Similarly, a summarized article’s list of main ideas may contain serious inaccuracies.
2. Lack of Critical Thinking and English Language Practice
If you use AI in ESL 117 assignments (and academic writing in general), essentially you will rely less on your own English skills. This limitation hinders your language acquisition and improvement. In other words, the more you practice your English and make mistakes (yes, making mistakes is useful in language learning), the more your English will improve.
AI tools cannot replicate human critical thinking. Here are concrete examples:
- Academic Summaries: When creating an academic summary, AI may miss subtle nuances that authors use to express their viewpoints. These nuances are crucial for understanding an article’s purpose or main ideas and should be included in summaries.
- Critical Analysis and Higher Order Thinking: AI lacks the human skill of critical analysis, which is essential for developing and expressing arguments.
- Citation Conventions: AI tools cannot apply specific citation conventions required for class assignments or other courses.
3. Ethical Considerations
When using AI in academic writing, ethical considerations are crucial. To ensure responsible and transparent practices in ESL 117, the following aspects require your utmost attention:
- Maintaining academic integrity is your ultimate responsibility at UW-Madison. College students must uphold ethical norms, avoiding plagiarism and misrepresentation of information. You may be allowed to use AI but only in specific circumstances and under your instructor’s supervision. In situations where you are allowed to use AI, do not blindly trust the information that is presented to you. Always make sure to check the accuracy of AI-generated content.
- In academic writing, human oversight and judgment play a crucial role. Although AI provides valuable assistance, students should never depend solely on AI-generated content. Critical thinking, analysis, and decision-making remain essential throughout the research and academic writing process in college. AI tools should complement, rather than replace, human intellect and thoughts.
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