Thinking With Machines: How Academics Can Use Generative AI Thoughtfully and Ethically
- Authors
- Topics
The emergence of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools presents both opportunities and challenges for academia. While these technologies offer powerful capabilities to support scholarship, their thoughtless adoption could undermine the very foundations of academic work. This talk introduces a framework for incorporating generative AI into academic practice in ways that enhance rather than replace human thought. Drawing on extensive practical experience, it demonstrates how conversational agents can serve as intellectual interlocutors rather than mere productivity tools, while examining the broader implications of these developments for the future of universities.
Dr Mark Carrigan FRSA FHEA is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Manchester where he is programme director for the MA Digital Technologies, Communication and Education (DTCE) and co-lead of the DTCE Research and Scholarship group. Trained as a philosopher and sociologist, his research aims to bridge fundamental questions of social ontology with practical and policy interventions to support the effective use of emerging technologies within education. He has written or edited eight books, including Social Media for Academics, published by Sage and now in its second edition. His latest book ‘Generative AI for Academics’ was released by Sage in December 2024. He jointly coordinates the Critical Realism Network while being active in the Centre for Social Ontology and a trustee of the Centre for Critical Realism. He is a board member for a range of publications, including Civic Sociology, the Journal of Digital Social Research and Globalisation, Societies and Education.
Subtitles for this video were provided by Áine Foley.
Learning Outcomes
After watching this webinar, learners will:
- recognise potential benefits in applying generative AI techniques as a sounding board within their research
- critique the potential pitfalls in using generative AI in research and mitigate for them
- identify ethical challenges in the use of generative AI in research practices
