Ground rules for ethical AI use needed to be successful innovation hub

Here are three suggested criteria for the use of large language models.

- Sebastian Porsdam Mann, Brian D. Earp and Julian Savulescu

After a severe bout of Covid-19, a colleague, Sumeeta, found herself facing an unexpected challenge. Despite her intact verbal intelligence and reasoning skills, she suddenly struggled with the mechanics of writing.

Constructing grammatical sentences and coherent paragraphs now became an exhausting ordeal. A single paragraph required a full hour of recovery time. This experience threatened to derail her academic career.

Then she discovered the power of large language models (LLMs).

For Sumeeta, LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude became a lifeline, enabling her to once again engage in writing tasks that had seemed impossible post-illness. From personal correspondence to academic essays, these AI tools helped bridge the gap between her ideas and their expression.

Her story is a reminder of the potential of AI for good when used responsibly and creatively.

And indeed, Singapore has made significant strides in encouraging responsible use of LLMs in universities. A recent study at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that 76.9 per cent of students use AI tools like ChatGPT to summarise texts, while 71.8 per cent employ them to collect information and formulate ideas.

In a nod to the potential of these powerful tools, NUS recently issued guidance for students on the ethical use of AI tools, emphasising transparency, academic integrity, acknowledgement and personal responsibility for submitted work.

But students are not the only important group using these language models. Another recent survey estimated that 40 per cent of Singaporean workers are already using AI in their jobs, with over 90 per cent reporting increased productivity. Yet the study also found that 76 per cent of these AI users admit to passing off AI-generated work as their own.