ChatGPT and its ethical implications for STEM research and higher education: a media discourse analysis

Abstract

Background With the increasing demand brought on by the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution in the period of post-digital education and bio-digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI) has played a pivotal role in supporting human intelligence and contributing to intellectuals within science, technology, science, and mathematics (STEM) and in the broader field of higher education. Thus, this study examines how writers for mainstream STEM journals and higher education magazines perceive the impact of ChatGPT, a powerful AI chatbot, on STEM research and higher education. ChatGPT can generate realistic texts based on user prompts. However, this platform also poses ethical challenges for academic integrity, authorship, and publication. Results Using a comparative media discourse analysis approach, this study analyzes 72 articles from four media outlets: (a) Springer Nature; (b) The Chronicle of Higher Education; (c) Inside Higher Ed; and (d) Times Higher Education. The results show that the writers expressed various concerns and opinions about the potential conflicts and crises caused by ChatGPT in three areas: (a) academic research and publication; (b) teaching and learning; and (c) human resources management. Conclusions This study concludes with some policy implications and suggestions for future research on ChatGPT and AI ethics in academia by reilluminating the most overarching policy concerns related to ethical writing in STEM research and higher education and limitations to the blindness to authorship and academic integrity among diverse stakeholders.

Navigating Ethical Frameworks to Mitigate Academic Misconduct While Leveraging Generative AI

“…As the fourth industrial revolution advances, the role of arti cial intelligence (AI) in augmenting human intelligence has become crucial in every sphere of life (Gan & Bai, 2023), especially in education (Hwang et al, 2020) and gained wide user preference (Lee et al, 2022), but the use of AI in academic activities often leads to numerous ethical challenges (Gupta et al, 2023;Nam & Bai, 2023). The integration of AI tools in current academia raises questions, especially in writing tasks, and has prompted a range of ethical concerns, as highlighted by various scholars.…”