Research Guides: Artificial Intelligence: Ethics and Implications of AI

Can I trust citations created by AI (ex., ChatGPT)?

While citations generated by ChatGPT may look convincing, they are results of aggregated textual information rather than evaluated information.

ChatGPT does not have the ability to read academic papers or access subscription databases of citations
ChatGPT is a language modeling AI that predicts the most likely words to come next in a sequence. That means it will generate citations upon request, based on it's "learned" model of what those citations are likely to look like.
It is not possible to cite your sources using ChatGPT query. You can ask it to create citations, but it tends to make up sources that don’t exist or present information in the wrong format.
These citations should not be used for actual research or academic purposes as they are not based on any actual academic work or research.
ChatGPT cannot add citations to direct quotes in your text.

Parameters within which ChatGPR-3 operates

Response by OpenAI to a query to better understand the parameters within which ChatGPT-3 operates:

As an AI language model, I do not have the ability to access or browse the internet like humans do. My responses are based on the text input I receive from users, and my knowledge is derived from the vast amount of text data that I have been trained on.

The training data used to create my base architecture, GPT-3, included a diverse range of text sources, such as books, articles, websites, and other online content, covering a time span from the 1980s to 2020; with a knowledge cutoff of September 2021.

However, it's worth noting that my responses are based on the information that was available in the text corpus at the time of my training, and my knowledge is not constantly updated in real-time. As new information and events occur, my responses may not always reflect the latest developments, and it's possible that I may not have knowledge of recent events or changes.

Reference

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-3 (April 12, 2023 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

ChatGPT and Fake Citations (Aaron Welborn, Duke University Libraries, March 9, 2023)

Copyright, Intellectual Property, Privacy, Legal Implications, & AI

The copyright battles against OpenAI have begun: Two authors are suing OpenAI, claiming that ChatGPT has unlawfully digested their books as part of its training data (Faustine Ngila, Quartz, July 6, 2023)
Copyright exceptions in Canadian education aren’t a loophole, they’re essential (Joel Abrams, The Conversation, July 4, 2023)
Tidal Wave of Regulatory Actions Hits Generative AI: Unraveling the Implications and Future of AI Legislation (Sam Cooling, Techopedia, April 10, 2023)
An early guide to policymaking on generative AI : How lawmakers are thinking about the risks of the latest tech revolution (Tate Ryan-Mosley, MIT Technology Review, 2023)
Law, Policy, & AI Update: Does Section 230 Cover Generative AI? (Peter Henderson, HAI, 2023)
ChatGPT: Implications for academic libraries (Christopher Cox & Elias Tzoc, ACRL News, 2023)
[AI and copyright laws] Is your AI model's data usage compliant with copyright laws? (Upstage, 2023)
The art of artificial intelligence: a recent copyright law development (Reuters, 2022)
Artificial Intelligence and Creativity: Why We’re Against Copyright Protection for AI-Generated Output (Creative Commons, 2020)
Copyright and Artificial Intelligence: An Exceptional Tale (Neil Turkewitz for Medium, 2020)
The US Copyright Office says an AI can’t copyright its art / Paradise lost (The Verge, 2022)

Case: Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad and Representative Plaintiffs, v. OpenAI, Inc. Case 3:23-cv-03223, filed 6/28/2023
Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property Strategy Clearing House
- Query: Case law for AI and IP, United States of America
  - United States Patent and Trademark Office Decision of April 27, 2020 on Application No. 16/524,350
    In the decision the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruled that AI systems cannot be listed or credited as inventors on a US patent. The decision stated that an “inventor” under current patent law can only be a “natural person.” This ruling follows similar stances adopted by other IP offices worldwide.
  - Virginia Eastern District Court Decision Thaler v. Hirshfeld
    US District Court affirmed USPTO's denial of AI system as inventor.
  - United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit [2022]: Thaler v Vidal, 43 F.4th 1207
    In August 2021, the Federal Circuit Court issued a precedential opinion, stating that under the Patent Act an AI software system cannot be listed as an “inventor” on a patent application.
- Query: Data Rights: Diverse laws and regulations
  - Data may be subject to intellectual property rights in the US, including copyright and trade secret laws, depending in part on the definition of “data.” For example, “raw” data that is purely facts would not be protected by copyright, but compilations of such facts may be protected. Other types of rights, including contractual, privacy, or confidentiality provisions may govern data.
- Query: Other AI and IP processes and information
  - Public Views on AI and IP Policy (Oct. 2020)
    The report summarizing public comments received from two public notices on the policy implications of AI on IP.
  - AI: Intellectual Property Policy Considerations (Jan. 2019)
    Six panels considered AI/IP policy implications.
  - Inventing AI (Oct. 2020)
    The report is tracing the diffusion of AI with US patents.
  - Patent Application Petition Decision - Inventorship Limited to Natural Persons (Apr. 2020)
  - Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Feb. 2020)
    This is a public symposium co-sponsored by the US Copyright Office and WIPO featuring eight panels discussing AI copyright policy implications.
Second Request for Reconsideration for Refusal to Register A Recent Entrance to Paradise (Correspondence ID 1-3ZPC6C3; SR # 1-7100387071) re: Stephan Thayler's AI generated art piece (2022)
National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (NAIIA) (DIVISION E, SEC. 5001) (bipartisan legislation enacted on January 1, 2021)
Pitfalls of Artificial Intelligence Decisionmaking Highlighted In Idaho ACLU Case (ACLU, 2017)

Resources

Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property - Searchable AI and IP Clearing House (World Intellectual Property Organization, 2023)

Artificial Intelligence (The National Institute of Standards and Technology, various dates)
Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People (The White House, 2023)
Copyright in the Age of Artificial Intelligence videos & transcripts (Event, U.S. Copyright Office, 2020)
National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office: Legislation and Executive Orders (National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Office, current)
Response of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U.S. Copyright Office to a October 27, 2022 Letter Requesting the Joint Establishment of a National Commission on Artificial Intelligence (Statement, U.S. Copyright Office, 2022)

ChatGPT Shared Links and Information Protection: Risks and Measures Organizations Must Understand (Matsukawa Bakuei, Trend, July 05, 2023)