For Faculty and Instructors
Available Support, Resources, and Training
The GenAI space is rapidly growing and expanding, with new tools and capabilities being revealed every few days. Hence, understanding what to look for in these tools is key. When considering tools outside of what the University offers, be aware of the following when choosing a tool for your needs:
- Privacy risks:
Understand that in most cases, the data you share is not private and will be accessible by external parties hosting the GenAI-based tools. Do not share information that is considered private, or sensitive, such as credit card information, personal details such as ID numbers or addresses, and so on. - Misleading costs:
Be aware that some tools will be ‘free-to-start’ or provide a more premium option with better functionality. Be wary of tools that require a credit card to sign up for it to start a free trial, as they may employ tactics that make it harder to then cancel the subscription. - Understand limitations:
Understand what GenAI-based tools can or cannot do. GenAI might appear to have the ability like a conscious being in a conversation or application, but they are simply very large predictive models that infer from a massive dataset. - Use reputable resources:
Should you use tools that are outside of UNCG’s offerings, ensure that are legitimate resources.
Considering the ethics of using GenAI
Following are some things to consider as you use GenAI-based tools, and how it may affect your usage of them in your day-to-day life:
- GenAI is not sentient:
GenAI models or Large Language models (LLMs) might appear to possess sentience or self-awareness as a human would, but are simply systems trained on large and biased datasets. LLMs are designed to output the most likely, or most common results possible based on their data, and will invariably tend to suppress less common or marginalized information. - GenAI is biased:
GenAI models carry implicit biases in them that make them unsuitable for use in cases of ethical deliberation and decision, and should not be used in those circumstances. Furthermore, this data is from the past, which results in a loss of context for current social changes. - GenAI can mislead:
GenAI in its current stage will tend to ‘hallucinate’ or make up random data that is not true. Models have no real sense of what is true or false. These models are built to output what is most likely in a verbose manner, even if there might not be enough real information to back it up.
With that in mind, here are some basic guidelines that can help you in how you use GenAI in academic use:
- Use UNCG’s offerings that ensure your data privacy and security.
- Talk to your professor about how and where GenAI-based tools can be used in your course. Seek clarity on issues of syllabus wording, citation, and methods of use.
- Do not cite information from GenAI as the truth for the information it presents. Always check the citations that it provides, and research them yourself. You can also reach out to the Librarian for assistance in your research.
- GenAI-based tools are just that, tools that you wield. Your prompts can determine the quality of information that you get and should assist you in your academic growth. They do not and should not replace your ability for critical thinking and problem-solving as an individual.
If you have concerns about how GenAI is being used or limited in a course, or have disputes with the course instructor over the usage of these tools, we recommend first contacting your school or college, as they may be able to assist you in accessing training material specifically curated for your area.
Questions to ask yourself
As GenAI poses to be a revolutionary tool that can change the academic space and beyond, it is important for you to understand why and how you intend to use these new, powerful tools. These are a few questions to consider and note that the answers to these questions will vary for each person.
- Is using a GenAI-based tool helping me learn more and think better?
- Is using a GenAI-based tool enabling or hindering my mastery of the stated course objectives?
- Is the content I generate accurate and verifiable? Is it free of biases that might harm other groups of society?
- How will I treat content that might have been generated using a GenAI-based tool?
- Is using a GenAI-based tool equitable to the students in my course?
- How can my actions in using a GenAI-based tool lead to the greater good of society?
Understand that your usage of GenAI-based tools can give you the means to better not just yourself, but also society as a whole, and there is an ethical responsibility towards doing so.
15 Questions to Ask When Evaluating an AI Vendor
- What is your AI’s core technology and architecture? You want to understand what type of AI model the vendor uses, whether it’s deep learning, reinforcement learning, supervised learning, etc.
- What data does your AI require for training? This question helps you to understand the quality and quantity of data required by the AI model.
- How do you ensure your AI model’s accuracy? It’s important to know how they test and validate their models. Ask them to provide case studies or test results.
- How does your AI handle bias and fairness? AI can inadvertently perpetuate bias if not carefully managed. Ask how they mitigate these risks.
- How is your AI model updated and improved over time? Models need regular updates to stay effective. Ask about the process for this.
- What is your AI’s interpretability and transparency like? Some AI models, especially deep learning models, are often described as “black boxes” because their workings are not easily understood. Ask how they ensure transparency in their AI processes.
- What is your model’s performance in real-time applications? Ask about the speed of the AI model, how it handles large data volumes, and how it performs in real-time applications.
- Can your AI model be customized to our specific needs? Depending on your needs, you might want an AI that can be tailored to your unique requirements.
- What kind of support and training do you provide? Find out what kind of support they offer after the AI is deployed. Do they provide training for your team?
- How do you ensure data security and privacy? This is an especially critical question in industries dealing with sensitive information.
- What is the total cost of ownership of your AI system? Beyond the initial cost, ask about ongoing costs like support, updates, or subscription fees.
- Can you provide references from other clients in our industry? References can provide valuable feedback on the vendor’s performance and reliability.
- How does your AI integrate with our existing systems? An AI solution needs to work well with your current tech stack.
- What is your roadmap for future development? You want to ensure that the vendor’s vision aligns with your company’s future needs.
- Can we conduct a pilot or proof-of-concept project? Consult ITS to discuss testing the system in your environment before making a significant investment.
Examples of GenAI-Based Tools External to UNCG
For a list of AI tools external to UNCG, refer to AI Tools. UNCG does not endorse or support any of these specific external AI tools.