SUNY FACT2 AI Task Group Report & Faculty Survey

As you are likely aware, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a significant topic within academia in recent months. The TLTC has received several inquiries from faculty about how we as an institution and a system are handling AI and what detection tools are available for faculty use. We understand that this is a loaded issue with many implications and a variety of potential consequences. To that end, we invite you all to read the SUNY FACT2 Guide to Optimizing AI in Higher Education.

This report was produced by a Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT2) Task Group charged by Shadi Sandvik, Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development and SUNY Provost-in-Charge “to investigate and explore how AI can be optimized in higher education.” Provost Sandvik explains, “Working over the summer, the AI Task Group researched the current landscape and created a working document we hope will provide faculty and instructional support teams with a guide to inform their efforts in the responsible use and application of AI in the teaching and learning space. This is a living document that will be expanded and updated over the next year and beyond.”

Keith Landa (currently on leave to SUNY from his role as Director of our Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center) served as co-chair of the Pedagogy sub-committee for producing the report.

Keith offers these practical recommendations:

• include a syllabus statement on appropriate AI use (perhaps co-developed with your students)
• focus on process and scaffolding of assignments, rather than just the product produced
• incorporate AI use into assignment workflow where appropriate (which will give students experience with tools they will use in the workforce, promote AI literacy, and provide opportunities to discuss ethical issues around AI use)
• have open dialog about those aspects of assignments where AI use is not permitted because it will get in the way of educational and professional development goals, to promote greater development of intrinsic motivation on the part of students (not easy, I know, but in the end probably the only thing that will discourage inappropriate use of AI tools)
• incorporate opportunities for real-time demonstration of course learning outcomes, to the extent possible

The use of “AI detectors” is not recommended as they have been found to have a problematic false positive rate, meaning students can be falsely accused of cheating based on the evaluation of an AI detector. Keith explains, “OpenAI actually took down the AI detector tool that they developed because of that reason. There are also equity issues with at least some of the AI detectors, in that false positive rates are higher for non-native speakers and other populations. Trying to use technology tools to detect AI content is only going to lead to an arms race that instructors will lose.”

In addition to the SUNY FACT2 report, faculty are invited to participate in the Faculty AI Survey to share how they are currently using AI in their classes/coursework.

Thanks for your time and attention!

best, Marie Sciangula & Kim Detterbeck
SUNY FACT2 Campus Representatives