EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Vanderbilt University is getting criticized for a letter addressing the shooting at Michigan State University that was written using ChatGPT.
The letter came from the office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education, a report from CBS News said.
According to Open AI’s website, ChatGPT is a means of artificial communication that can “answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”
A day after the statement was released, Nicole M. Joseph, the associate dean for the EDI office, sent out a follow-up email saying her office made a mistake using ChatGPT to respond to the shooting.
The letter read as followed:
“The recent Michigan shootings are a tragic reminder of the importance of taking care of each other, particularly in the context of creating inclusive environments,” the opening line read. “As members of the Peabody campus community, we must reflect on the impact of such an event and take steps to ensure that we are doing our best to create a safe and inclusive environment for all.”
“Another important aspect of creating an inclusive environment is to promote a culture of respect and understanding,” the letter stated. “This means valuing the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and identities on our campus, and actively working to create a space where everyone feels welcomed and supported.”
Below the letter and above the signature in a small font said that the statement was a “paraphrase from OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI language model.”
According to Peabody College Dean Camilla Benbow, her office did not review the letter before it was sent out.
The dean’s office is investigating the situation, and associate dean Joseph and Assistant Dean Hasina Mohyuddin have been placed on temporary leave.
