Research integrity and honesty in the AI era – an international project at UPWr

 The aim of the international project "Innovative Ethics and Research Integrity training in the AI era" (Acronym ITHOS), which won a competition in the Erasmus+ program, is to facilitate systematic and widespread education across Europe on the topic of ethics, research, and integrity in practice (ERI), especially related to AI technologies.

– Our interest in AI stems from the fact that artificial intelligence is developing extremely quickly and penetrating deeper into areas of our lives, including scientific, where improper use of AI's capabilities can lead to negative consequences, such as data fabrication, unreliable research, or the spread of false information presented as original knowledge. In this context, it can be said that science itself may become a victim of its own progress – says Prof. Arkadiusz Dyjakon, the project leader, adding that UPWr scientists do not intend to halt AI development, but rather to highlight certain ethical boundaries in its application in science and real-world research.

– We aim to promote ERI principles, engage participants and their social networks in dialogue about the importance of ERI in scientific research and practices, and ultimately support the cultivation of an ERI culture, which will eliminate ethical implications and increase public trust in science and technology – lists Prof. Dyjakon.

He explains that the path to this goal is multi-stage, including identifying effective educational practices and innovative resources related to research integrity and honesty, equipping educators and educational institutions with innovative teaching resources that propose unconventional implementation of training at universities in this area. “It will also be important to build confidence and capabilities among educators/trainers to conduct market-missing training in research integrity and honesty, providing them with adequate materials and tools, and supporting students through the implementation of an innovative program developed as part of the project,” says the project leader.

The project is being implemented by an international consortium

A UPWr scientist notes that although the use of AI in science depends on the scientific field and research area, the more important aspect for the project is how and for what purpose scientists use it. “Ethics and research integrity, as well as our internal need for ‘personal’ validation or confirmation of hypotheses or research findings, should always prevail in confrontation with the so-called initial data generated by AI,” he emphasizes.

The project "Innovative Ethics and Research Integrity training in the AI era" will be implemented by a consortium of six partners from Poland, Greece, Lithuania, and Slovenia. This includes four higher education institutions: Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, National Technical University of Athens (Greece), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), Vilnius University (Lithuania), and external organizations: Stimmuli for Social Change (Greece) and ART TRANSPARENT Foundation (Poland).

The project is planned to last 30 months with a budget of 400,000 EUR.

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