Abstract:

Much has been written and debated—and undoubtedly will continue to be—regarding the impact and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence, as well as the opportunities it presents alongside the risks inherent in this new conception of knowledge. The academic world has been particularly affected, both positively and negatively, by the use of this emerging tool. There is considerable concern among educators about students using this technology to circumvent the completion of assignments, which, although not universally, often leads to a decline in the culture of effort.

Nevertheless, Artificial Intelligence is not just another tool or a new methodology emerging from the digital realm; to some extent, it supplants the intrinsic and distinctive quality of human beings: intelligence. Therefore, beyond its sometimes unmeasured use, it is essential to consider the ethical, professional, and labor-related implications it may entail. For this reason, it has been deemed both interesting and appropriate to encourage students to reflect on its use and to compare the risks and benefits of its application, fostering in them a critical mindset capable of appreciating technological advances—provided ethical boundaries are not crossed.

Within the Inorganic Chemistry course of the second year of the Pharmacy Degree, students are required to complete a bibliographic assignment, which accounts for 10% of the final grade, as stated in the Verified Report of the Pharmacy Degree.

The guidelines for the bibliographic assignment are as follows: Paper must be between 15 pages, written in Arial 11 and, 1.5 line spacing. The required sections are: Cover Page, Table of Contents, Abstract, Introduction, Objectives, Methodology (bibliographic search criteria), Results and Discussion, Conclusions, and References. Recommended databases include: PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Additionally, the aim is to familiarize students with the structure of a Final Degree Project (TFG), albeit with less scope and depth. Given the increasing likelihood that students might use Artificial Intelligence to complete the bibliographic assignment, a proactive approach has been taken: students are now required to use Artificial Intelligence as part of the assignment. In other words, “If you can’t beat your enemy, join them”—with a nuanced interpretation of the term “enemy.”

Accordingly, the assignment guidelines have been expanded with the following items:
- In addition to the conventional paper, students must submit a second version of the same topic developed using Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically via ChatGPT (accessible by registering with a Google account). The information should be obtained by formulating appropriate questions to the system regarding the assigned topic.
- A third document, one page in length, must be submitted comparing the results (differences, advantages, reliability, difficulty, ethical implications, etc.) and providing a personal conclusion.
- All three documents (Conventional Paper, AI-Generated Paper, and Comparison) must be submitted in a single PDF file via email.
These guidelines are explained in detail during a lecture.

Thus, once the assignments have been submitted, in addition to grading this component of the Inorganic Chemistry course, an evaluation of the use of Artificial Intelligence can be conducted, incorporating the students’ personal perceptions and enabling meaningful conclusions to be drawn.

Keywords:

Inorganic Chemistry, Artificial Intelligence.