Western Sydney University Professor Admits to Using AI in Opinion Piece

Western Sydney University Professor Admits to Using AI in Opinion Piece

A senior academic from Western Sydney University has admitted to using artificial intelligence to write an opinion piece for The Sydney Morning Herald that defended the use of AI in universities. Professor Cath Ellis, a pro vice-chancellor in quality and integrity, argued that aspiring students should hold faith with the higher education system despite concerns that the system is being downgraded by the reliance on AI.

She submitted the piece in response to an earlier article by Macquarie University's Kylie Moore-Gilbert, which claimed universities were committing “widespread, industrial fraud” by accepting money from students and giving them degrees they didn't earn because they were outsourcing their thinking to AI. However, WSU acknowledged in response to enquiries that Ellis' reply published on Sunday was itself generated by AI, and drew upon her previous research in the field.

“To write her opinion article, Professor Ellis uploaded 40,000 words of her own original materials into a Copilot Large Language Model (LLM),” a spokesperson for the university said, indicating the extensive base of knowledge the model had access to. “The model summarised her knowledge, providing prompts. This was the basis of the early drafts, reflecting Professor Ellis's own thinking, ideas, and opinions built up over more than a decade of dedicated work as a global leader in this field.”

Ellis shared her piece with the WSU media team, which also used AI tools to suggest improvements, and the piece went through several revisions before it was submitted, the spokesperson added. “No other expert could have pulled together this knowledge base, nor added the understanding, skills, and attitudes in this space which is cutting-edge,” the university said. “The use of a LLM to draw on her own expertise, experience, and intellectual rigor demonstrates a sophisticated and appropriate use of GenAI. It reflects WSU's institutional position of human-centred AI.”

Students needed to be equipped for a world that included AI, and the opinion piece submitted by Ellis demonstrated that “edge thinking and innovative approach”, the spokesperson said. Nine, the publisher of the media outlet where the article was published, has strict editorial guidelines about the use of AI. “Our employees are encouraged to be curious about AI. Accordingly, journalists and editorial employees are allowed to use AI tools where there is a genuine benefit in doing so,” the guidelines state.

The guidelines also clarify that AI will not be used to write stories for publication but can be used for graphics, provided they're not ‘photo-realistic images’. Sydney Morning Herald editor Jordan Baker said the article had been removed because it didn't meet the Herald's editorial standards. “The Herald was not informed of the use of AI in the compilation of the article by either the author or Western Sydney University,” Baker said. “Clearly this is unacceptable and we are investigating further.”

The university claims that Ellis' use of AI was appropriate and reflects its institutional position on human-centred AI. The incident has raised eyebrows in the academic community, with some experts questioning the ethics of using AI to write opinion pieces. The use of AI in opinion writing raises questions about authorship, accountability, and the potential for manipulation.

Experts noted that the use of AI in opinion writing is not just about the technology itself, but about the values and principles that underlie it. The incident has sparked a wider debate about the use of AI in universities, with some calling for greater transparency and accountability.

Western Sydney University has defended its use of AI in the opinion piece, saying it reflects the institution's commitment to human-centred AI. The university claims the use of AI was appropriate and that Ellis' article demonstrated her own expertise and intellectual rigor. The university has also emphasized its institutional position on human-centred AI, stating it is committed to using AI in a way that complements human thought and creativity.

Western Sydney University has emphasized that its use of AI in the opinion piece reflects its institutional position on human-centred AI. Professor Ellis used 40,000 words of her own original materials to train the AI model, which provided prompts based on her extensive base of knowledge. The piece then went through several revisions before being submitted, involving the university's media team and suggesting improvements using AI tools.

The university's spokesperson stated that no other expert could have pulled together the knowledge base and understanding in this space, which is cutting-edge. The use of AI in this instance demonstrates a sophisticated and appropriate use of GenAI, reflecting the institution's commitment to human-centred AI. Students need to be equipped for a world that includes AI, and the opinion piece submitted by Ellis demonstrated that "edge thinking and innovative approach."

Nine, the publisher of the media outlet, has strict editorial guidelines about the use of AI. Employees are encouraged to be curious about AI and are allowed to use AI tools where there is a genuine benefit in doing so. However, AI is not to be used to write stories for publication but can be used for graphics, provided they're not 'photo-realistic images'.