Toy Dragon, AI, and Prof. Farish A. Noor’s Call for Academic Integrity

In a modest grocery store aisle, Prof. Farish A. Noor, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), encountered a toy dragon. At first glance, it was nothing extraordinary, just a cheap plastic figure among countless others. But for Prof. Noor, this toy symbolized something much more significant.

After weeks of meticulous work, the dragon, once a generic figure, was transformed into a personal masterpiece. Prof. Noor repainted and modified the toy, turning it into something he could proudly display. This process, as he explains, is not just a hobby; it is a metaphor for a much larger issue, one that touches on the very core of his life's work as an academic. 

In an era where artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly integrated into daily life, the question of academic integrity looms. Prof. Noor's toy dragon serves as a reminder of the importance of taking pride in one's own work, a value that he believes is at risk of being lost in today's digital age. 

"Why is this important?" Prof. Noor asks, reflecting on his hobby and its parallels to academic life. "Because we now live in an age where there are all kinds of applications and tools like ChatGPT and artificial intelligence, which are making it increasingly difficult for academics like myself to be able to tell with certainty if the papers and theses we read were actually written by the students themselves." 

For Prof. Noor, the crux of the matter lies in the relationship between teachers and students, a relationship built on trust. This trust, he argues, is being eroded by the ease with which students can now outsource their intellectual labor to machines. "When I mark papers, when I mark theses, I'm marking you. I'm not marking the machine," he emphasizes. 

Having spent more than three decades in academia, Prof. Noor takes immense pride in his work, whether it is the models he painstakingly creates or the books and papers he authors. This pride, he explains, is not about arrogance but about the satisfaction that comes from knowing that what you have produced is truly your own. "There is some pride to be had in the knowledge that this is your work," he says. "These papers, these books, and these models exist because you worked on them." 

This sense of ownership, according to Prof. Noor, is crucial in maintaining academic integrity. As AI continues to advance, the temptation to rely on these technologies to produce work becomes stronger, but Prof. Noor cautions against this. He urges students and scholars alike to trust in their own abilities and to take ownership of their intellectual labor. 

"We need to take ownership of our academic production and have faith in our abilities, knowing that we can constantly improve ourselves without relying on technology to make our work better," he advises. His words are not a rejection of technological progress but rather a call to balance it with personal effort and intellectual honesty. 

As AI tools become more sophisticated, the lines between human and machine-generated work may blur, but Prof. Noor's message is clear: the value of academic work lies not in its perfection but in its authenticity. "In the end," he concludes, "we will be judged for our own efforts, not for the capabilities of technologies that were not even invented by us." 

Prof. Noor's reflection is a timely reminder of the enduring importance of integrity in academia. As we navigate the complexities of the digital age, his call to uphold honest scholarship is one that resonates deeply—a call to maintain faith in our own intellectual labor and to preserve the trust that is the foundation of the academic community.

This reflection resonates with UIII's broader engagement with the topic of artificial intelligence and its intersection with Islam. UIII has previously hosted thought-provoking seminars featuring world-renowned experts. For instance, in a public lecture organized by the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Professor Bart Barendregt from the University of Leiden captivated the audience with his expertise in Digital Islam, exploring the role of AI in Muslim societies. 

Similarly, in July 2024, the Faculty of Islamic Studies held its third Annual Masterclass in collaboration with the University of Leiden and KITLV-Jakarta, delving into "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in/and of Islam." These events reflect UIII’s commitment to exploring the profound implications of AI in various aspects of life, including academia.

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