The Sydney Morning Herald has retracted an opinion article that supported the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in universities after it was revealed that the author utilized AI technology to compose the piece. The article’s author, Cath Ellis, who holds the position of pro vice chancellor for quality and integrity at Western Sydney University, had penned the column in response to earlier criticisms from Macquarie University’s Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who had alleged that Australian universities were engaging in “widespread, industrial-scale fraud” related to degrees conferred by generative AI.
In her now-removed article, Ellis contended that the higher education sector was undergoing a significant transformation in light of AI advancements and emphasized the need for universities to adapt to these changes. She stated that the focus was shifting away from merely assessing students’ submissions to ensuring they possess the requisite knowledge and skills.
A spokesperson from Western Sydney University confirmed that Ellis employed generative AI in a “sophisticated and appropriate” manner, detailing that she had fed 40,000 words of her own original work into a large language model. This model assisted in summarizing her extensive knowledge and generating prompts, which formed the basis of her initial drafts. The university indicated that Ellis collaborated with its media team, who also utilized AI tools to enhance the article further.
The editorial policies at Nine, the publisher of the Herald, permit the use of AI tools by journalists as long as there is a clear benefit. These tools can assist in various tasks like initial research, data analysis, and summarizing key points without requiring formal disclosure. However, the guidelines strictly prohibit AI-generated stories from being published without thorough human evaluation and verification.
The editor of the Herald, Jordan Baker, expressed that the retraction occurred because the article did not adhere to their editorial standards and that the publication was not informed about the use of AI in its creation. This lack of transparency was deemed “unacceptable,” and an investigation is underway.
In a follow-up article, Baker noted that the Herald is reassessing its relationship with Ellis for future contributions. Meanwhile, Western Sydney University stated it was unaware that Ellis’s actions violated the Herald’s editorial guidelines.
Monica Attard, a Professor of Journalism Practice at the University of Technology Sydney, remarked that Ellis should have disclosed her use of AI in the article. She suggested that if Ellis had framed AI usage as part of her argument for its validity in academic settings, it might have averted the controversy. Attard observed that while newsrooms are becoming more vigilant about AI-generated content, Australian editorial practices are still evolving, contrasting with more advanced systems in other regions, such as Scandinavia.
