North Carolina Redefines Plagiarism Guidelines for AI-Powered Future
To prepare students for a future shaped by pervasive artificial intelligence, North Carolina released new guidelines on Tuesday that urged educators to rethink the meaning of plagiarism in classrooms. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction emphasized the need to adapt to a world where AI is commonly used in various forms of writing, including academic papers, news reports, and emails.
The new guidelines, outlined in a 34-page generative AI guide, acknowledge that the prevalence of AI in writing makes it shortsighted to automatically consider all use of AI as cheating. Generative artificial intelligence refers to the process of using human-written prompts to produce original text, sounds, images, and data analyses. Platforms like ChatGPT, a popular language model, have brought AI to the forefront of conversations about the future of education.
While generative AI has raised concerns about plagiarism in K-12 schools and on college campuses, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction argues that banning AI is both futile and detrimental. Instead, they propose a five-step acceptable use scale to determine how students can ethically utilize AI in completing assignments. Each stage of the scale defines the appropriate use of AI and the required disclosures for instructors.
The guidelines promote the responsible use of generative AI and aim to foster values such as honesty, critical thinking, and originality in academic endeavors. For instance, students would be required to include MLA-style citations for AI-generated content in Level 3 of the scale. In Levels 1 and 2, students would submit links to their AI chats, while Level 0 suggests signing an academic honesty pledge for assignments without AI use.
Addressing concerns about AI being used for cheating detection, the guidelines warn against relying solely on AI detectors, as they can yield false positives and fail to identify students who are skilled at working with AI. In cases where there is suspicion of excessive AI dependence, the state advises using it as a teachable moment rather than a punitive measure.
Furthermore, North Carolina emphasizes the positive potential of generative AI in promoting self-directed learning, creativity, and accessibility for students with disabilities. Educators are encouraged to use generative AI tools to create lesson materials, provide feedback, and even grade certain types of student work.
To sum up its K-12 approach to generative AI, the Department of Public Instruction offers an analogy, encouraging students to view the technology more like an electric bike than a robotic vacuum. While an e-bike still requires human steering and pedaling, it significantly eases the task. Similarly, generative AI should be seen as a tool that enhances and supports human efforts.
By redefining plagiarism guidelines, North Carolina aims to prepare students for a future where AI is pervasive and offer them opportunities to develop the necessary skills for the digital era. These guidelines signify a shift in educational approaches and reflect the state’s commitment to embracing the potential of AI while fostering ethical use among students.
