Keep AI Out of MHC

The MHC community recently received the message that Gemini AI is available to them. However, generative AI models such as Gemini not only have sweeping negative effects on the environment, but pose ethical dilemmas regarding academic and creative integrity. In other words, "While AI presents opportunities for innovation and efficiency, its use raises concerns regarding its environmental impact, privacy, security, academic integrity, and equity" (LITS). 

In theory, MHC is "committed to reducing our environmental impact on the planet and have set the goal of carbon neutrality by 2037, the College's 200th anniversary," which cannot happen if Gemini is made widely available. Generative AI models such as Gemini have "adverse environmental impacts such as water and electricity consumption" (LITS), which are antithetical to this carbon-neutral goal. 

MHC is also "in a position to lead by educating students and the broader community on the science of climate change, as well as on the political, economic and social factors influencing it" and has "a responsibility to environmental sustainability, and to understanding its connection to multiple communities — locally and globally — both in terms of the people moving through the institution and the resources it consumes" (Mount Holyoke College). Using Gemini ignores this position, these responsibilities, and stands in opposition to the goals of community education, community support, and sustainability.

Furthermore, as "AI tools may produce content that includes copyrighted material [,] users must ensure that any AI-generated material is properly reviewed and does not infringe on intellectual property rights." This, however, has been rendered virtually impossible as "Original creators (writers, visual artists, and others) whose work went into the AI model are often not credited or compensated. These tools rely on massive amounts of invisible human labor to label initial data" (LITS). It is clear that the use of Gemini goes not only goes against academic integrity, but against diversity in the community; plagiarism is one of diversity's greatest enemies in both academic and artistic fields. All of these sources come from Mount Holyoke itself, which clearly acknowledges the environmental and ethical issues at the root of generative AI. The question, then, is why Mount Holyoke has chosen to give the community widespread access to such a tool? 

Mount Holyoke College is a college forged in dissent. We ask you to continue this longstanding tradition and sign this petition to protest the school-sanctioned use of Gemini. Although many may insist that tools such as Gemini are the future of education, if we cannot think for ourselves, we will never be able to control our future.