Concerned about rising academic indolence and plagiarism, the management of the University of Lagos is set to unveil a policy document on the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in academia.
The institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), Prof. Bola Oboh, made this known during the opening session of a three-day workshop on ethics in higher education.
The workshop, facilitated by Prof. Russell Porter, Deputy Ethics Officer at Texas A&M University, Central Texas, USA, was organized by the Office of International Relations, Partnerships, and Prospects, UNILAG.
While acknowledging the inevitability of AI in academic work, Oboh emphasized that staff and students should use AI responsibly, to enhance, rather than replace, critical thinking.
“If we say no to AI, we will just be deceiving ourselves. So, we have already started developing policies in that area as a university. In the next one or two months I’m sure the policy will be finally taken to the Senate for consideration.
“Whether we like it or not, our students are already using it, and some lecturers are also using it to check for plagiarised works.
“So we have made the student realise that while they can use AI, the idea of being able to think critically, using their thoughts and mind, should not be thrown away. It is when you just pick things online and dump them as received that it becomes a serious ethical problem.”
“The AI policy would enhance critical thinking rather than fostering plagiarism and laziness among staff and students,” she said.
Oboh further stated that the university’s AI policy aims to promote critical thinking while preventing plagiarism and academic laziness.
Similarly, Prof Porter highlighted the global ethical concerns surrounding the use of AI and Machine Learning in academic research.
He noted that ongoing studies worldwide emphasize the need for continuous vigilance and adaptation in AI ethics.
During one of the workshop sessions, Research Lead at the Machine Intelligence Research Group, UNILAG, Babatunde Sawyer, addressed participants on key aspects of AI ethics, including accountability, validity, reliability, explainability, security, and privacy.
Held at the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre, the training aimed to enhance faculty members’ understanding of ethical standards, proactive research practices, and excellent service delivery.
Participants were tasked with disseminating the knowledge gained to their respective faculties within six months.
