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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsVanderbilt Staff Used AI to Email Students About the Michigan State Shooting
Mother JonesAfter the recent shooting at the University of Michigan, staff at Vanderbilt University in Nashville sent an email offering support and comfort to students. In the wake of the Michigan shootings, it read, referring to the February 13 attack that left three students dead and five injured, let us come together as a community to reaffirm our commitment to caring for one another and promoting a culture of inclusivity on our campus.
Then, in small text at the end of the message, was a line revealing that the 300-word email had been, at least in part, generated by artificial intelligence: Paraphrase from OpenAIs ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication, February 15, 2023, it read, the Vanderbilt Hustler reported.
The email was signed by three affiliates of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Vanderbilts Peabody College of Education and Human Development, including Associate Dean Nicole Joseph.
Joseph, in an email to students the following day, reportedly apologized for the incident, calling it poor judgment. While we believe in the message of inclusivity expressed in the email, using ChatGPT to generate communications on behalf of our community in a time of sorrow and in response to a tragedy contradicts the values that characterize Peabody College, it read, according to the Vanderbilt Hustler.
Then, in small text at the end of the message, was a line revealing that the 300-word email had been, at least in part, generated by artificial intelligence: Paraphrase from OpenAIs ChatGPT AI language model, personal communication, February 15, 2023, it read, the Vanderbilt Hustler reported.
The email was signed by three affiliates of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Vanderbilts Peabody College of Education and Human Development, including Associate Dean Nicole Joseph.
Joseph, in an email to students the following day, reportedly apologized for the incident, calling it poor judgment. While we believe in the message of inclusivity expressed in the email, using ChatGPT to generate communications on behalf of our community in a time of sorrow and in response to a tragedy contradicts the values that characterize Peabody College, it read, according to the Vanderbilt Hustler.
With all the negative coverage, it's unfathomable the dean would use ChatGPT for a sensitive communication.
I think we are going to see more inappropriate use of AI.
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Vanderbilt Staff Used AI to Email Students About the Michigan State Shooting (Original Post)
quaint
Feb 2023
OP
ck4829
(38,045 posts)1. What was promised: "AI, make a map of Pompeii and a model of a velociraptor's digestive system"
What was delivered: "Here human, I have a message of thoughts and prayers for the latest mass shooting. Have a nice day."
Sounds like dystopia to me.
quaint
(5,112 posts)2. Great example.
The Magistrate
(96,043 posts)3. The Mind Wobbles, Ma'am

quaint
(5,112 posts)4. giggle
sdfernando
(6,095 posts)5. Anyone...and I mean ANYONE that would use AI
to generate an email like this after such a horrific event....well they have no heart....no soul. Not even willing to take the time to reflect on the event and compose an email in their own words. This is utterly DISGUSTING!
patphil
(9,180 posts)6. All it does is further cheapen the idea of "thoughts and prayers".
When you don't even care enough to send a real message of "thoughts and prayers", but let a soulless AI do it for you.
WTF!
Why did they even bother?