Chatbots and Citations: An Experiment in Academic Writing with Generative AI

Abstract

The world of Educational Technology is no stranger to tales and predictions about the Next Big Thing, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being the current title holder. This paper documents the process and experiences of the authors in undertaking a challenge to “go all in” with AI (in this case, ChatGPT-3.5) to generate academic material pertaining to their professional context, and to reflect upon the endeavour and the possible broader implications arising from this. We found that, on balance, the AI engine generated a credible base content for our chosen topic, and proved particularly useful for some aspects of the writing process (such as formulating bibliographical references and suggested titles). The experiment deepened our understanding of the potentials and pitfalls of using Artificial Intelligence in the academic writing process, and of the need to stay abreast of this rapidly evolving field.