By Diran Olaolu

Artificial Intelligence was founded on the basis of an imitation and not a limitation of Human Intelligence. Human intelligence has existed for thousands of years. From early civilizations, humans employed their intelligence to create language, tools, and social systems. Over time, human thinking led to major advancements in science, philosophy, and technology. The ability of humans to learn from experience, reason creatively, and adapt to new situations has made human intelligence far more flexible and complex than any machine system.

 AI (Artificial intelligence) was birthed into this world by scientists who thought of the possibility of mimicking the human cognitive domain. Artificial Intelligence was an attempt by scientists and engineers to create machines that could imitate some aspects of human thinking and problem-solving.

 This, very much unknown to many, began as far back as computers itself. The concept of machines that could imitate human thinking later started gaining attention in the 20th century

In the advancement of technology, specifically, computing, from the first generation to the third, then to the fourth… and finally after all efforts, to no avail to Artificial Intelligence, had always been an urge for scientists. The concept of this was not clear to scientists and engineers at  the early stage of computing.

 This major milestone in the discovery of software occurred in 1956 during the Dartmouth Conference, where researchers officially introduced the term “Artificial Intelligence.” This event marked the beginning of AI as an academic field.

The Dartmouth Conference of 1956 is widely considered the birthplace of artificial intelligence. It was meticulously organized by John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon, and Nathaniel Rochester. This seminal event spanned six to eight weeks during the summer at Dartmouth College, with the primary goal of exploring the potential for machines to simulate human intelligence through language, abstraction, and problem-solving 

Early AI research focused on creating programs that could solve mathematical problems and play games. One of the most influential figures in the development of AI was Alan Turing, 

Turing was a founding father of artificial intelligence and of modern cognitive science, and he was a leading early exponent of the hypothesis that the human brain is in large part a digital computing machine. He theorized that the cortex at birth is an “unorganised machine” that through “training” becomes organized “into a universal machine or something like it.” Turing proposed what subsequently became known as the Turing test, a test Turing proposed (1950)  to determine whether a computer can “think”. 

Alan Mathison Turing (born June 23, 1912, London, England—died June 7, 1954, Wilmslow, Cheshire) was a British mathematician and logician who made major contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis, logic, philosophy, and mathematical biology and also to the new areas later named computer science, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and artificial life.

In late 2022, the advent of ChatGPT reignited conversation about the likelihood that the components of the Turing test had been met.

Thinking about it, humans, especially I, a student, should be more intellectual than the AI since humans came before and my people of the days gone were mimicked to invent it.

Crazy enough, individuals no longer consider themselves as Intelligent life forms, or Why would an individual do all his/her academic work using AI without thinking or verifying any information himself?

“If not for AI”, a friend once said.

Total reliance on AI is now very rampant and this has drastically affected the academic integrity of students of Universities and campuses everywhere, so what can we do? The academic integrity has now been compromised.

Following the invention and development of artificial intelligence,its core purpose was not to take over human intelligence but to imitate it and make certain aspects of life easier for individuals.

Academics now loses its touch with more discrepancies in the academic sector, more works now being pirated, the use of Artificial Intelligence dogmatic ally and various ills by students.

Human intelligence is a complex system that involves different mental processes such as memory, perception, learning, reasoning, and creativity. Through these abilities, humans are able to analyze information, develop solutions to problems, and improve their understanding of the world.  Artificial intelligence cannot execute these distinctive functions to some extent due to their programs and systems. Unfortunately, people, especially students, take artificial intelligence like it is greater than them, which is why plagiarism has become the order of the day.

In the system of education, Artificial Intelligence should transform the educational landscape, offering both opportunities and challenges, not a tool to disregard and disrespect what should be. While it can improve learning and research, misuse of AI can threaten the academic integrity of students . Therefore, students, teachers, and institutions should work together to ensure that AI is used ethically and responsibly. This is very necessary in building well trained individuals who are competent enough to handle situations that arise.

Upholding academic integrity in the age of AI is essential for preserving the credibility of education and fostering genuine intellectual development. Artificial intelligence has come and has come to stay, its usefulness to the academic world can not be undermined, stretching its usefulness in all academic endeavors.

Educational institutions and individuals should be therefore self aware that they have important roles in guiding the ethical use of AI. Schools and universities should establish clear policies on how AI tools should be used in academic work. Students should also be educated about the importance of honesty, originality, and proper citation when using digital technologies which is lacking to a very big extent in academic pursuits. By promoting responsible AI usage, institutions can maintain academic standards while benefiting from technological advancements.