(13 Mar 2023) To better understand librarians’ viewpoints on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education, Helper Systems, a company that is striving to make information easier to find, manage and use, conducted a survey of more than 125 academic librarians in the United States. The survey results are freely available, with no registration.
Among other key findings:
- When asked if they believe it is cheating when students use AI products, just 8% indicated a definitive “no.”
- In comparison, 12% said AI is unethical for professors to use for research and 14% for professionals to use on the job.
- Major concerns regarding AI in higher education include eliminating or reducing critical thinking and originality, cheating, and the loss of human jobs.
“…Students learn how to punch a calculator for math. Now they learn how to run ChatGPT to write a paper. They use Refworks to create citations. We are educating intelligent youngsters towards dummies,” wrote one participant.
“(AI products) are a potential game-changer in the way that the introduction of Google changed the research process. Too many libraries missed the boat in using Google, opposing it rather than endorsing and utilizing it. I do not get the impression that is occurring with the new AI resources,” countered another.
According to Christopher Warnock, Helper’s Founder and CEO, the company designed the survey specifically for librarians for many reasons. Warnock explained that librarians play a pivotal role in higher education and student success, and are key to the identification and adoption of innovative new technologies.
“Librarians are awesome,” said Warnock.
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