I recently wrote to a colleague to point out a mistake in an image on an infographic. It wasn’t their mistake, but they had posted the infographic via their science communication site. I also suggested the image was AI generated. My colleague checked with the creator of the infographic and wrote back confirming my suspicions. They asked for advice on how to better manage image content that may or may not be AI generated. Here is my response:
My approach to AI mistakes or mis-use is to point it out wherever I see it. I think we are living through a cultural shift and the norms for how we do work are changing and not yet settled. As an educator about AI use I see it is my role to try and shape those norms towards appropriate uses.
So to your question. For the experts you probably want to set some AI use standards, but also it need to be brief (because they are busy).
One idea might be to include a statement with requests along the lines of “We acknowledge that AI use is part of everyday work now, please ensure accuracy of all facts, images and diagrams.”
Or ask them to declare AI use to you before sending content.
Part of the challenge is differentiating inappropriate from appropriate uses. In fact we have no analogue for this, so currently one person’s opinion about that will be very different from another’s.
I’m fine with making cartoons using AI to communicate science, whereas I’d never make a photo. But I’ve have been derided on social media for that, as some people find all AI use insulting.
For images specifically, if they look factual (e.g. photos or scientific illustrations) then they absolutely need to be verified carefully. Otherwise it might impact scientific credibility. Whereas for a cartoon its less important because they are obviously ’not real’, so long as facts presented in the cartoon are accurate (e.g. numbers, names, locations, directions of arrows).
So a challenge for you is its quite context dependent when an AI mistake might be ok vs not.
I’m reminded of former canadian prime minister Steven Harper. He visited the west coast (Pacific coast of Canada) to make a new announcement about salmon conservation. But the picture used in his press release was of an Atlantic salmon. The announcement ended up being widely reported for its inaccurate picture that hinted at how people felt about Ottawa’s disengagement with local issues.