How Can Artificial Intelligence Be Used Correctly and Ethically in an Academic Context?

At the beginning of July, SNSPA was vibrant as students defended their graduation theses. This period is stressful, demanding, and simultaneously rewarding. You are constantly surrounded by your peers, working closely and meeting students in the hallways with whom you have had classes. A student from my ChatGPT Prompting course thanked me for the recommendations that helped her complete her thesis more efficiently and effectively. Let me tell you more about it.

Writing a graduation thesis involves numerous time-consuming tasks that do not contribute new skills but rather a lot of frustration. This student needed to conduct interviews with experts from various fields as part of her research. Traditionally, these interviews must be transcribed, which is a tedious process. This is where technology steps in. Vatis Tech, a program that assists with automatic transcription, brings a sense of relief and efficiency to the process, lightening the burden of these tasks. I recommended Vatis.tech, although there are other options I have tested. I chose Vatis because it delivers the best results.

What is Vatis? Vatis Tech is an advanced automatic transcription platform that uses AI technology to convert audio and video files into text. It offers high transcription accuracy and supports multiple languages and fields of activity. Vatis Tech stands out for its reliability and ability to handle large volumes of audio data, ensuring superior precision compared to other solutions available on the market.

Even with Vatis, transcription errors occasionally occur. In such cases, there are two options. The first is to correct these errors manually, which is time-consuming. My student used the second option to utilize ChatGPT to make the necessary corrections, a method that significantly saved time and ensured high accuracy in the final text. The student inputs the transcribed text into ChatGPT, requesting the model to identify and correct transcription errors, improve coherence and clarity, and suggest reformulations where needed. This approach significantly saved time and ensured high accuracy in the final text.

AI, such as ChatGPT, Vatis, and other tools, can significantly benefit the academic process, particularly for repetitive tasks that do not require intensive intellectual effort. This allows students to focus on the critical and creative aspects of their research. However, it is necessary to adhere to ethical standards in the use of AI. It should be seen as a support tool, not as a substitute for critical thinking and intellectual effort. This approach ensures that AI is integrated into the educational process in a way that enhances the learning experience without compromising academic integrity, fostering a sense of responsibility and mindfulness in our academic work.

About the author

Florin Zeru is an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Communication and Public Relations and has a Ph.D. in communication with the thesis “Government Communication in Romania Through Social Networks: Provocations, Benefits, and Recommendations”. Florin is also an institutional communication expert due to his work in the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry for Relations with the Parliament, and the Romanian Government. In addition, having worked on electoral campaigns for the past 13 years, he has a wealth of experience in political communication. Lastly, he has held various expert positions in several European-funded projects and has experience evaluating higher education institutions. You can get in touch with Florin through his social media accounts:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/florinzeru/
https://www.facebook.com/FLORIN.ZERU
https://www.tiktok.com/@florin.zeru
https://twitter.com/florin_zeru 

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