Purpose of the Guide
This guide is designed to help you, as a Kenyon College senior enrolled in the Computing Seminar capstone project course, understand how to appropriately use artificial intelligence (AI) tools ethically, effectively, and responsibly in your project work. AI tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and others can greatly enhance your productivity and creativity when used correctly. However, it is crucial to follow guidelines to ensure academic integrity and maintain the value of your learning experience.
Benefits of AI Tools
AI tools can:
- Enhance Problem-Solving: Provide alternative approaches to complex problems.
- Increase Productivity: Automate repetitive coding tasks and suggest optimizations.
- Support Learning: Offer explanations and guidance for new concepts.
- Foster Creativity: Help generate innovative ideas or solutions.
Examples of AI Tools and Their Use Cases
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
- What It Does: A conversational AI capable of answering questions, generating ideas, and debugging code.
- Appropriate Use Cases:
- Generating initial ideas for project design.
- Explaining programming concepts.
- Writing boilerplate documentation or comments.
- Assisting in debugging code by analyzing error messages.
- Example:
- Prompt: “Explain the time complexity of merge sort.”
- Response: Provides a detailed explanation, helping you understand the concept.
GitHub Copilot
- What It Does: An AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code as you type.
- Appropriate Use Cases:
- Generating code snippets or functions.
- Writing repetitive code (e.g., boilerplate setup).
- Providing suggestions for optimizing existing code.
- Example:
- Scenario: You need to write a function to validate email addresses.
- Copilot Suggestion: Autocompletes a regular expression-based function for validation.
Other Tools
- Codeium, TabNine: Alternative AI code completion tools.
- DALL-E: Generating visuals for project presentations or interfaces.
- Notion AI: Assisting with project management tasks like drafting reports or task lists.
Policy for Using AI Tools
1. Transparency
- Disclosure: Clearly state in your project documentation where and how you used AI tools.
- Example: “ChatGPT was used to generate initial ideas for the project’s design phase.”
2. Ethical Use
- No Plagiarism: Do not present AI-generated work as your own without proper attribution.
- Code Understanding: Only include AI-generated code that you fully understand and can explain.
- Prohibited Uses:
- Generating entire project solutions.
- Using AI to complete course assessments without attribution and significant editing.
3. Academic Integrity
- Instructor Consultation: Seek approval for using AI in significant parts of your project.
4. Originality
- Creative Contribution: AI should support, not replace, your critical thinking and problem-solving.
- Customization: Modify AI-suggested solutions to fit the unique needs of your project. AI generated content is usually generic, and often flawed. It may make assumptions about your work that is incorrect. Everything it generates should be thouroghly reviewed and edited to correctly reflect the goals, voice, and nature of your project.
Best Practices for Using AI Tools
- Start Small:
- Use AI tools for brainstorming or generating ideas during the early stages.
- Iterate:
- Refine AI-generated code or content through multiple revisions.
- Validate Outputs:
- Cross-check AI-generated solutions for accuracy and relevance.
- Learn from Feedback:
- Use AI’s suggestions as learning opportunities to deepen your understanding.
Examples of Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Use
| Scenario | Appropriate Use | Inappropriate Use |
|---|---|---|
| Debugging Code | Using ChatGPT to explain a runtime error. | Asking ChatGPT to debug your code, and just blindly copying and pasting its recommendations without a thorough review. |
| Generating Boilerplate Code | Using GitHub Copilot to create a setup function for your database. | Submitting an AI-generated function without reviewing or testing it. |
| Project Planning | Using Notion AI to draft a project timeline. | Relying on AI for all project documentation without customization. |
| Learning a New Concept | Using ChatGPT to explain how neural networks work. | Copy-pasting ChatGPT’s explanation into your project as original work. |
Consequences of Misuse
Misusing AI tools, such as presenting AI-generated work as your own without attribution, will be treated as a violation of Kenyon’s academic integrity policy. Possible penalties include:
- Grade deductions.
- Failing the course.
- Referral to the academic review board.
How to Seek Help
- Course Instructor: Contact for approval or clarification on AI use.
- Library Resources: Explore additional resources on AI ethics and best practices.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can responsibly integrate AI tools into your capstone project while maintaining academic integrity and maximizing your learning experience.