Western Sydney University's pro vice chancellor for quality and integrity, Professor Cath Ellis, has been caught using artificial intelligence to write an opinion piece urging students not to rely on such technology for their academic work.

The $30 million toe in the water

The Sydney Morning Herald published Professor Ellis's article last month, but it was removed after it was flagged as AI-generated by the AI-detection service Pangram.

The university has defended Professor Ellis's use of AI, stating that she uploaded 40,000 of her own original materials into a Copilot Large Language Model (LLM), which then summarised her extensive base of knowledge and provided prompts.

This was the basis of the early drafts, reflecting Prof. Ellis's own thinking, ideas and opinions built up over more than a decade of dedicated work as a global leader in this field.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The use of AI in academic writing has been a topic of discussion in recent years, with some institutions embracing the technology and others expressing concerns about its impact on academic integrity.

Earlier this year, The New York Times was forced to drop a freelance journalist who used AI to write a book review.

The publication launched an investigation, during which the journalist admitted to using AI to help him write the review.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The Sydney Morning Herald's editor , Jordan Baker, has stated that the article did not meet the publication's editorial guidelines and had been removed.

However, the university has defended Professor Ellis's use of AI, stating that it was a sophisticated and appropriate use of the technology.

A familiar pattern from the 2019 crash

The use of AI in academic writing has raised questions about the role of technology in education and the potential impact on academic integrity.

As the use of AI becomes more widespread, it is likely that we will see more instances of AI-generated content being used in academic settings.

However , it is also possile that the use of AI will lead to new opportunities for students and academics to engage with complex ideas and topics in new and innovative ways.

Broader context

The use of AI in academic writing is just one example of the broader trend of increasing reliance on technology in education.

This trend has been driven by a range of factors, including the need for students to develop skills in areas such as data analysis and critical thinking.

However, it has also raised concerns about the potential impact on academic integrity and the role of human judgment in academic decision-making.

Open questions

One of the key questions surrounding the use of AI in academic writing is whether it is possible to distinguish between AI-generated content and content written by humans.

Currently, there is no foolproof way to do this, and it is likely that we will see more instances of AI-generated content being used in academic settings in the future.

This raises questions about the role of human judgment in academic decision-making and the potential impact on academic integrity.