AI Ethics Video Series
TALIC invited colleagues in the T&L community to share and show examples of how they integrate AI technology and manage associated risks in a series of videos.
Fostering an Ethical and Critical Mind for AI in Higher Education
Brian Tang, Executive Director of the LITE Lab (Law, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship) at HKU Law School, emphasizes appropriately incorporating AI into coursework and teaching students the “intentional use of AI as a learning companion” to augment critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Brian says he incorporates diverse assessment methods such as reflections, verbal presentations, and peer evaluations, moving beyond traditional essays that AI can easily generate. Addressing the concerns that AI enables students to generate written work too quickly and effortlessly, and the increasing pressure students face from peers using AI undetected, Brian recommends that teachers focus on a mindset shift to encourage students of the benefits of exercising their “mental muscles”.
Building the Grey Line: Guiding Ethical AI Use in the Classroom
Professor Cecilia Chan of the Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre (TALIC) addresses a new kind of academic dishonesty known as “AI-giarism,” which generally refers to using AI to create content without crediting original human or AI sources. She emphasizes that a ‘grey line’—a ’morality gap’—exists, where students and educators interpret AI ethics differently. Cecilia advocates for transparency of use, urging students to declare AI use just as they would human sources and encouraging open discussions in classrooms. Cecilia stresses the importance of guiding students on responsible AI use rather than just policing it.
Reimagining Assessments in the Age of AI
To help students use AI responsibly, Dr. Tai Chun John Fung, Sr. Lecturer of the School of Nursing, recommends some practical measures, including requiring students to disclose AI use in their work submitted for assessments. John and his colleagues also integrate AI literacy modules into their disciplinary teaching to help students embrace AI, familiarizing them with authorized AI use, and reminding the students of AI’s limitations, such as hallucinations and bias.
John sees the use of AI as an opportunity to innovate and focus on higher-order skills, including empathy, creativity, and critical thinking, rather than a “shortcut” to request that AI complete written assignments.
AI-Resistant Assignments and Human-Centered Learning Tasks
Nicole Lau, a teacher from the Department of Psychiatry at SClinMed, shares that she designs “AI-resistant assignments” that focus on human-related tasks intended to resist automation. Her assignments may include concept maps, reflective journals, and peer interviews, emphasizing human-centered tasks that draw on students’ own lived experiences. Nicole underscores the importance of embedding clear policies and stresses the need to integrate these policies into the learning process.
Going forward, how would you define and uphold ethical boundaries in a way that harnesses technological advancement and safeguards academic integrity?
Reference:
- Awadallah Alkouk, W., & Khlaif, Z. N. (2024, December). AI-resistant assessments in higher education: practical insights from faculty training workshops. In Frontiers in education (Vol. 9, p. 1499495). Frontiers Media SA.
- Chan, C. K. Y. (2024). Students’ perceptions of ‘AI-giarism’: Investigating changes in understandings of academic misconduct. Education and Information Technologies, 1-22.
- Khlaif, Z. N., Hamamra, B., & Hussein, E. T. (2025). AI Paradox in Higher Education: Understanding Over-Reliance, Its Impact, and Sustainable Integration.
- Overono, A. L., & Ditta, A. S. (2025). The use of AI disclosure statements in teaching: developing skills for psychologists of the future. Teaching of Psychology, 52(3), 273-278.