Academic Use of Generative AI

This course engages with the digital world. But it also strives to maintain a critical distance from technology, given the harmful social, political, and ecological ramifications of the indiscriminate use of computing and computing power. When it comes to generative AI, we must be especially careful to use the technology responsibly, in ways that do the least amount of harm to individuals and communities, including your own education and our own classroom. Our rule of thumb is that if AI shortcircuits your understanding, or leapfrogs over the essential but difficult work of learning what we’re here to learn, then it is not acceptable, and even dangerous.

We will provide specific guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI on a case-by-case basis for each assignment or project in this class. What might be permissible for one kind of assignment may not be permissible for another assignment. In general, we ask three things:

1. Never pass off the work of generative AI as your own.
2. Any work generated by AI must be cited as such, and the prompts must be shared.
3. The accuracy and validity of any AI-generated work is automatically suspect, and you are responsible for verifying and correcting that work.

Failure to follow any of the above guidelines will be considered a violation of Davidson’s Honor Code.

Academic Integrity

Students at Davidson College abide by an Honor Code. The principle of academic integrity is taken very seriously and violations are treated gravely. What does academic integrity mean in this course? Essentially this: when you are responsible for a task, you will perform that task. When you rely on someone else’s work while undertaking that task, you will give full credit in the proper, accepted form.

All major assignments must be accompanied by this Honor Pledge, signed by you:

On my honor I have neither given nor received unauthorized information regarding this work, I have followed and will continue to observe all regulations regarding it, and I am unaware of any violation of the Honor Code by others.