I know that some in the community are concerned after reading recent news stories about my use of artificial intelligence, including the article that appeared this week in The Dartmouth. I understand that my use of AI in writing is raising important questions about the standards of scholarly and professional work. In retrospect, I now realize I should always explicitly disclose use of AI in my public writing and be attentive to the expectations of AI use set by publications. I am sorry that this was not my standard practice and, moving forward, it will be. As a scholar, I have great reverence for the power of words and crafting a compelling argument. And as provost, I strive to lead with integrity and believe I must adhere to the highest standard.
There is a wide range of perspectives across academia of what should or should not constitute appropriate AI use and whether context matters. For some, the use of AI editing tools is becoming more common to effectively communicate complex concepts, especially for individuals who are nonnative English speakers. For others, AI use is antithetical to what it means to teach, share ideas, craft narratives and write persuasively. These are evolving and important differences in approach that we are all trying to navigate during these fast-changing times.
Our students struggle with similar complexities and are looking to us, their professors, for guidance. We should give them, and one another, grace. I have learned that our own undergraduate Committee on Standards process does not rely solely on such software to identify AI use, and a student has not been sanctioned exclusively based on the results of Pangram or any other detection software alone. Suffice it to say, I am more aware than ever of the need for robust intellectual discussions about the appropriate use of AI in the higher education landscape.
One of the reasons I was called to Dartmouth is because this community is eager to take on hard questions and does not stand by and wait for others to do the difficult work first. I am working with senior vice president for community and campus life and chief student affairs officer Jennifer Rosales to think about how we engage our community very soon in a dialogue on when AI should or should not be used in class assignments, public writing and scholarship. These are not questions that can be answered by one individual or members of one academic discipline alone. I invite you to join this shared endeavor — your input is important and will be valued.
Santiago Schnell is the provost of Dartmouth College. Guest columns represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
