AI Ethics

AI Equity and Access

Use of generative AI tools can be beneficial for faculty and their students, but it is important to realize that not all students will have equal access to the tools or understand how to utilize them in an effective manner. As faculty, we are responsible for creating a learning environment that is supportive of all students, not just a privileged few. Below are equity and access concerns that may present themselves in your courses

Primary Issues:

• Access limitations due to cost for premier versions. Not all students can afford the paid versions which are faster and more comprehensive. If you allow or encourage use of AI tools, there needs to be a level playing field for your students so all can benefit in a similar fashion. 

• Students, particularly under-represented groups, often do not understand options, prompts, and best use cases. If students are intimidated by the novel use of generative AI, they will avoid or use incorrectly. Faculty can overcome this potential obstacle by informing students of best practices and providing examples and resources for further use.

• Many students may not have regular access to fast broadband internet/cell service to reliably utilize the services. The digital divide may be narrowing, but it still exists and not all students have regular and reliable access. Are students expected to use these tools when away from campus? Are there on-campus workstations and support for those that do not have adequate hardware and fast internet? 

• Students with special needs may experience cognitive overload trying to deal with AI-generated results. Neurodiverse students, and others with disabilities, may find the output overwhelming. If faculty provide assistance in interpreting output (in-class and via recordings) then students will have less anxiety when confronting generated responses. 

• Potential overuse and over reliance by ESL and students with special needs. All students may rely too much on AI, but those with special needs, languages, and cultures may feel compelled to use them to keep up rather than developing their own thinking skills. Faculty can proactively explain good and poor usage of these AI tools so students know their limits. Similarly, faculty can create assignments that require deeper thinking  and creativity so students are “forced” to develop their own skills. 

• Results of Generative AI can be biased and marginalize certain students. Faculty and students need to be cautious while interpreting output since it may significantly reproduce inequities in our society. Being transparent about generative AI weaknesses, and showing those examples, can help reduce implicit bias. 

• Privacy concerns for students who are uncomfortable/unwilling to use the tools. Many AI tools utilize input to train their models. This can be a privacy concern for both faculty and their students. Faculty should warn students about these issues and offer suggestions on how to minimize personal data being harvested for commercial use. 

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