Library News

06/12/2023

Roxanne MacMillan

Citation, Copyright, Publishing

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have been a hot topic of both news and conversation since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in March 2023. In addition to the possibilities these tools present, there has been much discussion about their limitations and risks. Let’s take a look at some things you should be aware of from a copyright and citation perspective.

Copyright

The big question is who owns the copyright for AI-generated materials?

As yet, there are no clear answers.

OpenAI, for example, claims to own the copyright for content produced by ChatGPT and its image generator, Dall-E. OpenAI assigns its users the right to use the content for any purpose, including commercial use (OpenAI, 2023a), but do they really have the authority to do so?

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools are ‘trained’ on huge amounts of data “scraped from the internet” (CBA National, 2022). Although this content is freely accessible, much of it is likely copyright protected, and that’s where things get murky. According to the Canadian Bar Association, clarity will likely have to be provided by court decisions—in Canada and worldwide—to address questions such as:

Do AI tools use enough of an original work to infringe on copyright?
Does the use fall under Fair Dealing?
Is AI output a purely “mechanical exercise” (CCH Canadian Ltd. v. Law Society of Upper Canada, 2004) and not copyright protected at all?

(CBA National, 2022)

There are already several high profile court cases involving generative AI. For example, Getty Images is suing Stability AI for allegedly using its content without permission to ‘train’ the image generator, Stable Diffusion (Brittain, 2023).

Citations

OpenAI (2023b) acknowledges that ChatGPT “sometimes writes plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.” This is sometimes referred to as hallucination and fake citations are one example.

University of Waterloo Library and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Library, among others, have tested the reliability of citations produced by ChatGPT. I thought I’d try it myself.

I asked ChatGPT to write a paragraph on the use of carbamazepine in benzodiazepine withdrawal and to include a reference list.

This was the response:

Carbamazepine is a medication commonly used in the management of benzodiazepine withdrawal, particularly in cases of long-term benzodiazepine dependence. It belongs to the class of anticonvulsant drugs and acts by stabilizing neuronal membranes and reducing excessive neuronal firing. Carbamazepine helps alleviate withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, and irritability, making it a valuable adjunct in the detoxification process. The drug's mechanism of action involves modulating the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission system, which is disrupted during benzodiazepine withdrawal. While carbamazepine has demonstrated efficacy in managing benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms, it should be used under close medical supervision due to its potential for side effects and interactions with other medications. Further research is needed to optimize dosing and duration of carbamazepine therapy in benzodiazepine withdrawal.

Reference List:

Sood A, Armon C. Carbamazepine for benzodiazepine withdrawal. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;(3):CD001905. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001905.pub2
Nardi AE, Lopes FL, Valença AM, Freire RC, Veras AB, de-Melo-Neto VL. Withdrawal from long-term benzodiazepine use: randomised trial in family practice. Br J Gen Pract. 2006;56(533):958-963. doi: 10.3399/096016406775101759
LoVecchio F, Pizon A, Riley B, et al. Use of phenobarbital and carbamazepine in patients with alcohol withdrawal. Am J Emerg Med. 2007;25(3):299-302. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2006.08.004
Koster ES, Maes J, Janssen HE, et al. Use of benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine-related drugs in older adults with intellectual disability: A register-based study. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2020;33(2):312-321. doi: 10.1111/jar.12658

I am not a subject matter expert, so I won’t speak to the accuracy of the paragraph (though I would welcome input from readers). As for the citations, at first glance they looked promising—formatted correctly, reputable journal titles—but looks, as the saying goes, can be deceiving.

Of the four citations, only one is even partially correct. The others are complete fabrication!

A search of PubMed® and Google Scholar indicates that references 1, 3, and 4 do not exist. The DOIs provided by ChatGPT are for different and unrelated articles. Reference 2 IS a real article from the British Journal of General Practice, but the authors and the DOI are incorrect.

What does this mean for you?

If you use generative AI tools for any purpose:

Always confirm that the content is accurate. Check everything (including citations) against reputable sources, such as those provided by Nova Scotia Health Library Services. Consider using a plagiarism detector or Google’s reverse image search to determine if text or images have been copied from a copyrighted resource.
Pay attention to developing legislation and policy. The federal government has proposed an Artificial Intelligence and Data Act and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada recently announced an investigation into ChatGPT for possible misuse of personal information.
Exercise caution. Open AI CEO, Sam Altman, described ChatGPT as “incredibly limited” and warned that it should not be relied on for anything important (O’Brien, 2023). Generative AI tools are rapidly improving, but it will always be up to the user to ensure that the content they produce is accurate and copyright compliant.

If you have questions about copyright:

visit our Copyright subject guide
book an appointment with a library staff member, or
reach out to us at Copyright@nshealth.ca.

Further Reading:

Alkaissi H, McFarlane S I (February 19, 2023) Artificial Hallucinations in ChatGPT: Implications in Scientific Writing. Cureus 15(2): e35179. doi:10.7759/cureus.35179

Flanagin, S., Bibbins-Domingo, K, Berkwits, M. & Christiansen, M.A.. (2023, Jan. 31). Nonhuman “authors” and implications for the integrity of scientific publication and medical knowledge. JAMA 329(8), 637-639. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.1344

References (not AI generated)

1. Brittain, B. (2023, Feb. 6). Getty Images lawsuit says Stability AI misused phots to train AI. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/getty-images-lawsuit-says-stability-ai-misused-photos-train-ai-2023-02-06/

2. CBA National/ABC National. (2022, Dec 7). The legal status of generative AI. The Canadian Bar Association. https://nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/hot-topics-in-law/2022/the-legal-status-of-generative-ai

3. CCH Canadian Ltd. v. Law Society of Upper Canada. [2004] 1 S.C.R. 339, 2004 SCC 13. https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/2125/index.do

4. O’Brien, M. (2023, Jan. 6). What is ChatGPT and why are schools blocking it? The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-explainer-what-is-chatgpt-and-why-are-schools-blocking-it-2/

5. OpenAI. (2023a). Terms of use. https://openai.com/policies/terms-of-use

6. OpenAI. (2023b). IntroducingChatGPT. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt

Roxanne MacMillan

Librarian Educator
Central Zone

Patient Education Pamphlets updated or created in May 2023

06/05/2023

Kendell Fitzgerald

Patient Education, Patient Pamphlets

Writing in plain language matters. In Canada, it’s reported that nine million people have limited literacy skills, with over half of Canadians reading below a high school level. This is just one of the reasons why it is important to offer additional support to patients and families with easy-to-read, straightforward patient pamphlets. For more information about creating or updating patient pamphlets, please visit the Content Creator Toolkit. Please contact Pamphlets@nshealth.ca with any questions. You can search for pamphlets by title, keyword, or four-digit pamphlet number in the pamphlets catalogue, or view the complete listing of active titles in our Print Code Index.

The following pamphlets were updated or created in May 2023.

Cardiovascular System
WG85-1692 Preparing Your Skin Before Vascular Surgery - Halifax Infirmary

Dartmouth General Hospital
DG85-1775 After Your Urological Surgery - Dartmouth General Hospital

Emergency & Public Health
WA85-2052 Measles, Mumps, and Rubella: Diseases and Vaccines (En français: FF85-2086)

Gynecology & Reproductive Health
WP85-2336 NEW How Anxiety and Your Mood May Change in Pregnancy and After Birth

WP85-2050 Eye Infections in Newborns Caused by Gonorrhea and Chlamydia

Hospitals
WX85-1803 Hospitalist Medicine Unit (HMU) - Halifax Infirmary
WX85-1697 Spiritual Care - Colchester East Hants Health Centre (CEHHC)
WX85-1939 Intimacy in Long-term Care

Medications
QV85-1501 Hospital Pharmacy Services (En français: FF85-2108)

Musculoskeletal System
WE85-1848 Unit 8.1: Orthopedic Medicine - Halifax Infirmary (HI)

Nephrology
WQ85-0739 Parathyroidectomy and Kidney Disease
WQ85-1151 Acute Hemodialysis

Nervous System
WL85-1455 Recovery After a Mild Stroke
WL85-1348 After Your Brain Tumour Surgery - Care at Home

Nursing Units
WZ85-1297 Welcome to 8.2 - Halifax Infirmary