Scenario: AI: A Lesson in Academic Integrity

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

Naval Cadet (NCdt) Finley Ledger was nervous as they handed in their report to the instructor. They had spent nearly twenty minutes the night before creating their report for a military course with the help of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can generate text based on keywords and prompts. They hoped that it would impress the instructor and save them some time. They had not bothered to check the quality or accuracy of the text, nor had they cited any sources for their work. NCdt Ledger thought they were being smart and efficient.

The civilian instructor glanced over the report and frowned. They immediately believed that the report had been written very hastily, written using an AI tool, or plagiarized, as they found multiple factual errors and non-sensical additions in the text. It is assumed that the NCdt had committed academic misconduct and violated the ethical value of integrity, which the instructor knows is essential for any military professional. They decided to confront the NCdt after the class and ask some questions about their work.

The NCdt's friend Tom, who sits next to NCdt Ledger, noticed their nervousness, and asked what was wrong. The NCdt confessed that they had used ChatGPT to write the report and that they were afraid that the instructor had caught them. The friend was shocked and disappointed. They had worked so hard on their own report, following the guidelines, and doing a lot of research. Tom felt betrayed by their friend's dishonesty and wondered if they should report them to the instructor or try to persuade them to admit to their mistake. They also value their relationship with their friend and do not want them to get in trouble.

Categories

• Principles: Serve Canada Before Self, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Courage, Stewardship, Excellence
• Cultural themes: Service, Leadership, Teamwork
• Misconduct types: General Misconduct
• GBA Plus themes: Not Specific
• Audience: Defence Team

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical principle of Serve Canada before self and Obey and support lawful authority in relation to this scenario.
• Discuss the ethical values of integrity, courage, stewardship, and excellence in this scenario. 
• Discuss the use of AI in relation to academic misconduct.

Facilitation Questions

1. What is the ethical dilemma in this scenario?  
   • Open group discussion.
   • The ethical dilemma in this scenario is whether Tom should expose the NCdt's cheating or encourage them to come clean to the instructor. 
   • On one hand, Tom values honesty and integrity, and knows that cheating is unacceptable in the military. On the other hand, Tom cares about their friendship and does not want to ruin the NCdt's career. Tom faces a conflict between their moral duty and their loyalty to their friend.
2. What considerations are at play with respect to the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Code of Values and Ethics? 
   • Open group discussion.
   • Obey and support lawful authority: The students were all briefed at the beginning of the course on what constitutes academic misconduct.  
   • Courage: Tom will need to show moral courage to either report their friend or encourage them to come clean with the instructor on their overuse of AI to create their report.
   • Integrity: Finley and Tom both have the opportunity in this scenario to show integrity, which is being dedicated to fairness and justice and being committed to the pursuit of truth regardless of personal consequences. Finley will have to face some consequences for their actions, but if they come forward, the instructor will likely respect that they admitted they were wrong.
3. What possible courses of action could Finley and Tom take in this scenario? Which is the preferred option? Why?
   • Option 1: Tom could report to the instructor that Finley had cheated on their report.  They would feel justified due to the extensive effort they made on their own report.  This could put some strain on their relationship with Finley.
   • Option 2: Tom could try to convince Finley to show integrity in the face of their academic misconduct with the over-use of AI and be upfront with the instructor about what they did. Finley may have to face consequences, but due to their honesty, there is a possibility that they could come to an understanding with the instructor (e.g., a rewrite with a lower score). 
   • Option 3: Do nothing. In this case, the instructor (who was already on to Finley’s poor quality of the report) would likely fail Finley and report them to higher levels at the school due to their academic misconduct.  This option would likely cause the worst outcome for Finley, although it would likely not impact the relationship of the two friends.
4. What could constitute appropriate usage of an AI tool such as ChatGPT, in a CAF/DND learning or work environment?
   • Open group discussion.
   • Brainstorm and generate ideas.
   • Assist with drafting but ensuring content is accurate but verifying and including references.

*Note to facilitators: Please review the Defence CDO Guideline, Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) [DWAN link only] and discuss as it applies to CAF members and DND employees in relation to this scenario. ** Note to learners that any school’s specific policies related to academic misconduct and the use of AI would apply.