The rise of artificial intelligence is creating quite a stir as the new technology now threatens the one thing that is sacred among colleges and universities: academic integrity.

According to analytics firm Similarweb, ChatGBT was launched in November 2022 and within two months became the premier AI chatbot with 100 million users. To put that in perspective, the population of New England is 15.1 million.

The attraction is clear. A term paper that would typically take days to complete can be produced in seconds using ChatGBT.

Robyn Griswold, vice president of Student Affairs at Nashua Community College, said she and her colleagues will not falter and are preparing for the challenges posed by AI.

“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and we are currently developing new policies to minimize the misuse of this technology,” she said. “It will be a priority this year to learn more about AI from the perspective of our different academic disciplines and to identify strategies that harness the positive potential of AI as an educational tool.”

Dr. Brian Ernsting, vice president of Academic Affairs at Rivier University, said the school’s Academic Integrity Policy requires that students cite any information that was obtained using AI.

However, that policy is Rivier’s strongest defense against misuse as detection is still a work in progress.

“Current software tools that purport to identify AI-generated text and other work have unacceptable false-positive rates,” said Ernsting. “The evolving nature of AI makes policies surrounding its use subject to ongoing review and revision.”

However, he also said AI has the “potential to revolutionize many fields.”

“Rivier University embraces the potential of this tool while understanding and educating students on its proper use and misuse,” said Ernsting. “Our deans and faculty are empowered to determine the best use of these tools in their academic disciplines.”

Dr. Michael Blackman, dean of students at the University of New Hampshire, said the university’s policy on academic integrity has already been violated by students using AI.

“We know that students are using it to facilitate their work. We have sent widespread communications to students and faculty clarifying that using AI without permission is a violation of our academic integrity policy,” he said. “We have tools that faculty use that help flag assignments that could have been written using AI.”

Dr. Meoghan Cronin, an English professor at St. Anselm College, said the college is working to create a policy to govern the use of AI.

“The Dean’s Office has asked a group of faculty members to put together guidance and sample syllabus statements that will be shared during a Deans’ Forum in late-August,” she said. “As AI technology continues to advance, the college will respond to ensure the integrity of academic study, research and writing.”

Eden Wales Freedman, academic vice president at Colby-Sawyer College, said the school’s academic honesty policy already prohibits “using artificial intelligence to generate academic work and submitting it as one’s own.”

She said the penalty for plagiarism can range from failing the assignment to being dismissed from the college.

Therefore, Wales Freedman said the focus right now is to teach students how to use AI in a responsible manner.

“We are discussing how to encourage students not to cheat with AI but to utilize the resource to help further develop thinking, writing and communication skills,” she said. “It can help direct students through the early stages of the research process, akin to a streamlined Internet search. The tool admittedly makes it easier to cheat and plagiarize, but it also opens up greater access to information.”

Rebecca Newell, associate dean of students at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, said the college’s English professors began dabbling in AI about five years ago with a program called Perusall to evaluate student writing.

“It has the ability to accurately assess and auto-grade threaded discussions in an online forum,” she said. “It was prototypical, but planted a seed.”

Newell said that thus far, the impact of AI has been minimal with “a few instances” of academic integrity violations. However, she believes this could change relatively soon given the popularity of ChatGPT.

“Detection can be tough, but if it’s suspected we take an educational approach in addition to any punitive action,” said Newell. “We believe it is most important to ensure students are learning to think critically and are deliberate about creating assessments to support that.”

Newell also said professors have the right to manage their classes as they see fit and to take appropriate action should there be an incident involving academic dishonesty.

“This might include issuing a failing grade for the assignment,” she said. “Faculty are encouraged to share the information with the Dean of Students Office for tracking purposes or in the event there is a follow-up appeal.”

Another option would be to refer students to the Academic Integrity Seminar.

“They are experts on teaching students how to author their own work and cite appropriately,” said Newell. “We connect students with their tutors and require proof of completion. Even though it’s a sanction, students are often grateful for the opportunity.”

Newell also said she is confident that AI offers an “array of possibilities” that have not been discovered yet.

“What I can see is the emergence of software that has the potential to take over some administrative duties and allow employees to focus more time and attention on learning experiences,” she said. “Interactive transactional activities can be done by a chatbot quite accurately and efficiently.”

In addition, Newell said MCC is known for having a curriculum that is aligned with the current needs of the workforce. Therefore, she said AI needs to be included in that.

“If we are not talking to students about AI – how to use it, develop it, live with it, then we are not preparing them for the emerging world. We must adapt to the expectations of the next generation,” she said. “I can see us considering AI courses by discipline since it will impact all areas of work. We need to take a deep dive into our current curriculum design, learning experiences and student services and think critically about how we can maximize AI tools. This is indeed revolutionary and I am so grateful to be alive and working in this industry while it unfolds.”